Whispers In The Night
by hathor X
Summary: A collection of one-shots and drabbles I've written over the past year concerning Draco and Hermione. Comedy, drama, angst and even horror, but most of all - love. Reviews are most welcome!
1. Faith

**Author's Notes:** I have a bunch of one-shots and drabbles floating around in the fandom and thought to collect them all and post them here. I know you're all eagerly waiting the next update of HWY and have resolved myself to go back to it soon. I've unfortunately been busy writing fics for another fandom (gasp!), but have not forgotten about my favourite couple :D

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or any characters within. I do not own the song "I Believe" by Bon Jovi.

**Summary:** Hermione and Draco had been together for two years in secret. DH compliant, EWE. Written for dmhgficexchange 2008 on LJ.

Enjoy!

* * *

_I believe, I believe  
With every breath that I breathe  
You and me can turn a whisper to a scream_

***

"I'm tired of us meeting like this."

Hermione felt her heart skip a beat as she slowly slid back into her jeans and buttoned them up.

"I know," she answered, pretending not to understand his meaning, "but next week Ginny is going away to Ireland with Harry so I'll have the flat to myself. I guess you can come around there instead if you're careful."

She slipped on her summer blouse, sitting back down on the soft bed of the Muggle hotel room she had booked for the night. Her suggestion had done nothing to appease the pale skinned man lying beside her.

"I'm serious Granger," he continued, propping himself up on an elbow. "We're not doing anything wrong. You're not married or anything and the Ministry's finally getting off my back – maybe it's finally time that we -"

"That we what, exactly?" Hermione abruptly interrupted, turning around to face him. "Go public? Tell everybody that we're dating? You know that can't happen, the press would have a field day – I can already see the Daily Prophet's headline: Hermione Granger dates Malfoy, scum of the wizarding world!"

"You know what?" Draco said icily, throwing the blankets away as he stood out of bed. "If you're going to be like this, just forget I said anything!"

"Like what?" Hermione retorted, standing up herself. "I'm just being realistic. What's wrong with you? You know exactly what would happen, it'd be just like in seventh year!"

Draco's eyes turned cold and Hermione suddenly regretted her words. They had both returned to Hogwarts for their final year after Voldemort's defeat, but while Hermione had been welcomed back with open arms, Draco had been kept under a watchful supervision by the Ministry and hated by most of the students.

He had spent most of his seventh year avoiding Gryffindors and Slytherins alike, all out for revenge on him for what his father and fellow Death Eaters had done in the past. He was the only son of the Death Eater to have returned to Hogwarts after the war and as such he had suffered the consequences. Hermione had been the only one who he had had contact with over the year since she was Head Girl and had after seeing Malfoy being ostracised in such a way, she had taken pity on him. After all, she was there the night Voldemort had come to Hogwarts and she had seen what Draco had done for her and Ron in the Room of Requirement. She had felt compelled to make an effort with Draco during her final year at Hogwarts and although at first he had behaved just as infuriatingly as ever, his attitude soon changed when he realised she was the only one there for him.

Their brief encounters turned into friendship, which by the end of the school year had turned into something more. After the Hogwarts' graduation ceremony, they had finally admitted their true feelings to each other and started dating in secret ever since.

Hermione breathed in deeply, trying not to think about the past. "I'm sorry, but please – please don't be like this."

She felt Draco tense at her words before he began picking up his own clothes strewn across the floor.

"You heard the news as well as I did Granger," he said calmly. "Lisa Turpin and Theodore Nott are getting married. If an Auror and the son of a convicted murderer can do it then why can't we?"

"It's not the same," she began, but stopped herself as he whipped around and she noticed the anger etched on his face.

"No, I suppose it isn't. After all, I doubt Turpin has two blundering idiots to worry about."

"Oh for God's sake, as if it was only about Harry and Ron!" Hermione shouted back, walking over to him. "You've got everything to lose Draco. Need I remind you that the Ministry has only just given you clearance to your family vault and access to Malfoy Manor after three freaking years! If you do anything to displease them now they'll take it all away from you again and you can kiss your job at Gringott's goodbye as well!"

Picking up her jacket, she quickly slipped into her shoes fuming with anger, but at the same time hoping Draco would say something – anything to break the silence and make things better.

Why was he being so unreasonable? He had always been so adamant about keeping their relationship secret before, repeating several times over that no one would understand them and only seek to separate them. The wizarding world had changed after the war. They hadn't brought on peaceful harmony among wizards and witches as Harry had promised, but instead hatred had broken out between pure-blooded families and victims of the Death Eaters. The families of the fallen ones had taken vengeance into their own hands and relatives of Death Eaters had become the scapegoats of the wizarding world. They were hated and anyone who associated with them were instantly outcast as well. The Ministry had done nothing to prevent it and Hermione preferred not to think what would happen to Draco if people discovered their relationship.

Finally grabbing her leather bag lying at the foot of the bed, Hermione turned to leave the room, barely looking back at Draco, who was staring out of the window, fully dressed.

"I don't care," he spoke up as she opened the bedroom door. "I don't care about the Ministry and what they can do to me. They already took everything I had once and if they do it again, then so be it."

He turned around, his soft blond hair framing his face as Hermione stood frozen in the doorway.

"The only thing I'm scared of losing - is you."

She opened her mouth to respond but he beat her to it. "I love you and I want to be with you and if the wizarding world has a problem with that then there's really no hope for any of us at all. As long as we stick together, they can't break us."

He walked towards her until his hands reached her waist, pulling her in. Hot breath on her skin as his fingers slithered up her back.

"What do you say?"

She looked up into eyes and her own doubts seemed to vanish. Could they really take the risk? Did he really have so much faith in them to believe this could work? Her mind buzzed with a million questions, but she felt mesmerised by the longing look on his face, the feel of his arms around her and his overpowering scent, all suddenly causing her to push him away.

"Don't," she told him, taking a step back. "Don't try to kiss me and think everything's going to be fine. I need to think about this. I'll see you tomorrow."

Walking out of the room, she wondered at what point their relationship had become so complicated and quickly decided to put it out of her mind instead.

*

***

*

Several hours later, Hermione was sitting in the Three Broomsticks at Hogsmeade where she had agreed to meet Harry and Ron for drinks. The two Aurors had been living together in the village ever since they had left Hogwarts and had become regular customers at the pub.

"So I was thinking," Harry began in a nervous tone, "that maybe after I take her to Killarney National Park, I'd take her out to the restaurant and eventually ask her – er -"

"Hang on a minute!" Ron hastily put down his pint causing it to spill. "You're going to propose to Ginny? To my sister?"

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, Ron," he answered, a small appearing on his lips. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Well congratulations, mate!" Ron told him, slapping him on the back. "Mum's going to be thrilled."

"Hermione?" Harry asked, turning towards her. "Aren't you pleased for me?"

Hermione had barely listened to a word all evening as Draco's words replayed over and over again in her mind. All evening she had been making a list of the pros and cons of revealing their relationship to their friends and it had only caused her to get a headache.

"I'm sorry Harry," she told him, trying to focus on her friend's conversation. "Yes, of course I'm pleased. I hope you guys will be happy together."

However, her tone of voice sounded anything but pleased. She was so distracted with Draco that she had barely noticed the quizzical looks her friends were giving her.

"I have to tell you something," she exclaimed, finally facing them.

Harry slowly raised an eyebrow. "Okay, is something wrong?"

"No, no, it's nothing like that," she answered, gulping down the rest of her wine. "I just – it's just something I've kept from you guys for the past couple of years and – er – I don't know how to tell you."

Harry put his hand on hers and gave her a smile. "Hermione, after everything we've been through, you know you can tell us anything you want, right? We're here for you no matter what."

"Yeah, Hermione," Ron told her, laughing softly.

"I've been dating Draco Malfoy ever since I left Hogwarts," she blurted out, barely able to look them in the eye. She held her breath waiting for their reaction, but noticing her blank looks, she just kept on going.

"We've been dating ever since we left Hogwarts and we've kept it secret for obvious reasons, but now I think we've both had enough of sneaking around and want to go public."

"Oh God!" Harry finally spoke up. "And I thought I had the biggest piece of news tonight."

"Draco fucking Malfoy?" Rom exclaimed, slamming his pint down on the table again. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," Hermione said, trying to put on a brave face. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"Hermione, we always suspected there was someone," Harry began, looking around them nervously as if someone might be listening in, "but we never thought it would be -"

"Malfoy!" Ron cried out.

"Ron, please, keep it down!" Hermione told him, hoping no one had heard him. "Yes, I'm dating Draco - and I love him. And I know all this is sudden and I should have told you two before, but what I need to know right now is that if the whole wizarding world suddenly found out about us; would you two back me up? Will you be there for me?"

She was really testing their friendship this time and she knew it. Harry and Ron had much to lose as well by helping her, but without them – she didn't know if she could go through with it.

Harry and Ron shared a quick glance, before Harry finally nodded and a smile appeared on his face again. "Hermione, you're our friend no matter what. We're here for you."

Hermione smiled in return and felt an immense relief wash over her as she heard his words. She felt so lucky to have such great friends that tears suddenly welled in her eyes.

"Oh Merlin, you're not going to cry, are you?" Ron exclaimed, finishing his pint. "Come on, I'll order us another round. We have an engagement to celebrate and after hearing about Malfoy, I definitely need another drink!"

*

***

*

That same night, Hermione apparated to the Muggle flat Draco had been renting in London until he could move back into Malfoy Manor. She had had more than a few drinks with Harry and Ron after telling them about Draco and had finally conceded into telling them the whole story to their relationship. Talking about the past two years she had spent with Draco made her realise that she was making the right decision.

It was time to stop hiding and face the consequences.

"I told Harry and Ron!" she cried out, as soon as he opened the door.

He smirked at her. "Well, Merlin be damned! So what did Potter and Weasley have to say? Please tell me they finally let you go and that I never have to see those two idiots again!"

"Oh quite the contrary, you're going to have to endure their company for a while longer."

She laughed softly as she spoke and grinned as his hands cupped her face and he kissed her hard.

"Draco," she whispered, pulling away slightly. "We can do this right? I mean, I love you and I believe in us, but still - we're not about to make a huge mistake by telling everyone, are we?"

His devilish smile appeared once more on his handsome face. "Oh, ye of little faith!"


	2. So Much to Lose, So Much to Gain

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Harry Potter series, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling. Nor do I own Tanya Donelly's song "So Much Song".

**Summary: **Hermione goes to a Ministry party and wakes up the next day in a hotel room with Malfoy unable to remember anything about the previous night. Post-DH. Written for dmhgficexchange 2008 on LJ.

Enjoy!

* * *

_And I know my picture will not  
be carried with you  
Now someone's got to stay  
and clean up this mess_

Hermione opened her eyes and groaned.

"Morning, Granger."

And then, promptly fell out of bed.

"Ow!"

Malfoy? Malfoy was in her room! What the hell was Malfoy doing inside her room?

Clinging onto the bed sheets, which she noticed were made of silk, she quickly realised that she wasn't in fact at home in her room, but in a hotel. Alarms suddenly started going off in her head.

"It's not the first time a woman's reacted like this when waking up next to the most eligible bachelor of the wizarding world, Granger," an amused drawl suddenly spoke up above her. "I hope you realise waking up next to you, however, isn't quite as exciting for me."

Hearing his words, Hermione wrenched the silk sheets from the bed, attempting to cover as much of her naked body as possible before slowly rising to her feet.

"Malfoy," she acknowledged with as much disdain in her voice as possible. He was propped up against the pillow, stunningly naked, and perfectly content to watch her with an amused smirk.

"What did you do to me?" she suddenly shrieked. "What the hell are you doing here? Where the hell _is_ here? And why on earth ARE WE BOTH NAKED?"

He cocked his head to the side, looking at her intensely and she suddenly noticed a devilish air about him.

"Little Miss Perfect goes to a party, ends up in bed with a stranger and doesn't remember any of it?" he taunted, his grey eyes sparkling with malice.

Hermione clenched her jaw in anger. If looks could kill, Draco sodding Malfoy would be dead.

Well no, she didn't remember much of the previous night, but she was certain that he was responsible for her current situation. Pulling the sheets towards her once more and desperately trying to look anywhere but at his naked body, she crossed her arms over her chest.

"All I remember was going to the Ministry party with friends and having a really good time until you showed up! And then, I'm not sure what happened, but I'm guessing that you drugged my drink or something and then lured me to this place," she snapped at him, looking around for her clothes and most importantly – her wand. If Malfoy had taken advantage of her somehow, she was going to hex him to hell!

"So I could have my wicked way with you?" he scoffed. "Please! You begged me for it!"

"I did not!" Hermione immediately replied, even though she couldn't remember.

"Oh, yes you did," he said, suddenly leaning up towards her.

Hermione instantly leapt backwards. "Stay away, Malfoy! I don't know what you did to me last night, but as soon as I find my clothes, I'm going straight to the Ministry to report you!"

Malfoy laughed in her face. "And tell them what, Granger?" he asked her, leaning down to the floor to pick up his boxer shorts. "How you got so horribly smashed at the party you couldn't even walk straight? How you took one look at Weasley and his new girlfriend and proceeded to drink every cocktail you could get your hands on?"

She blushed at his words and swirled around, anxious all of a sudden to find her clothes and get as far away from him as possible. However, as soon as she took another step, her stomach seemed to flip on itself and she ran instead to the bathroom, ignoring the blond idiot chuckling to himself behind her.

A few minutes later, after emptying the contents of her stomach in the toilet and then soundly brushing her teeth, Hermione came out again, still fuming with anger.

"So I might have been a little drunk last night, but you still took advantage of me!" she yelled at him, grabbing her white lace knickers from the lamp shade. "There's no way I could have known what I was doing! And there's no way in hell I would have agreed to go anywhere with you, let alone a hotel room!"

"Ginny performed a sobering spell on you," Malfoy continued, slipping his white cotton shirt back on. "I'll admit you still weren't completely sober after it, but trust me – this whole thing was your idea! The hotel, the room service – the sex."

Hermione made a face at his words. If Ginny had performed a sobering spell on her, then that would explain the sickness and her lack of memory. Spells against alcohol never sobered up anyone, they merely delayed the effects enough for someone to get home or in this case, in bed with Malfoy!

If only she could wipe off the downright sinful smile on the Slytherin's face. "Well, obviously the sex can't have been that good because I don't remember any of it."

She succeeded.

"That's hardly surprising considering the type of men you've been sleeping around with," Malfoy snapped, his eyes suddenly turning cold as he zipped up his black pants. "And as I recall it last night, _you_ couldn't get enough of me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione hissed, grabbing her black cocktail dress from the floor and pulling it over her head. "Are you calling me a _slut_?"

Malfoy merely raised an eyebrow in defiance. "Maybe."

Livid with anger, Hermione suddenly threw her black stiletto at him. She missed.

"Well, you know what? Takes one to know one!" she yelled, grabbing the rest of her belongings and shrieking in frustration. "God, I'm not simply going to just stand here, let you insult me and ruin my reputation when I know for a fact that I would rather eat my own handbag then end up in a hotel room with you!"

With that, she stomped across the room, pushing him out of her way and opened the door.

"Granger, wait -"

Slamming the door behind her, Hermione ran down the corridor to the closest elevator shaking with anger while clutching her handbag and shoes to her chest. She couldn't believe the nerve Malfoy had to kidnap her to a dingy hotel, when she was clearly inebriated, and to have his way with her, only to insult her again the next morning.

But Hermione wouldn't let him. She was going to apparate straight to the Ministry and report him. Noticing her bed hair and smeared make-up once inside the elevator, she quickly decided to pass by her flat first and get changed. Hopefully, she'd also catch Ginny there and demand an explanation from her. Why hadn't her friend and flatmate taken her home and even more importantly, why had she let Hermione leave with Malfoy instead?

Malfoy. Of all the people, of all the single males present at that damned Ministry party, it had to be Malfoy.

Malfoy – the once Slytherin Prince, who'd attempted to murder Dumbledore, blindly followed his parents in pleasing Voldemort and who supposedly had redeemed himself after the war by using his contacts and fortune to rebuild the wizarding world. Harry had vouched for him, Ginny befriended him, but Hermione and Ron hadn't bought into any of it. For them, Malfoy would still be the same old bully from their Hogwarts years – perhaps a more grown-up, filled out and dead sexy bully – but a prejudiced prick all the same, no matter what Harry or Ginny said.

She took a deep breath and sighed. At least Ron still agreed with her. They hadn't agreed on much lately since their break-up, but at least she could still count on him to despise Malfoy just as much as she did. Her mind then started to wander off, thinking about Ron instead and his pretty new girlfriend that he'd brought to the party, but before she could start feeling all depressed again, the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened.

As Hermione walked out into the lobby, slipping her stiletto shoes back on, she suddenly realised that the hotel wasn't so dingy after all. On the contrary, it was quite grand with marble floors and a lovely Renaissance fountain in the lobby and she wondered whether Malfoy had picked the place. She quickly dismissed the thought and instead wondered how to get home. Disapparating seemed out of the question since she didn't have her wand and she was reluctant to leave the lobby as she suddenly dreaded meeting an acquaintance on the street on her way home. What if someone caught her doing the walk of shame back home? Or even worse, what would they think if word got out that she had left the party with Malfoy of all people? It was the worst time as well to draw bad publicity to herself as she was hoping for a promotion to become an Unspeakable at the Ministry. Being caught with Malfoy in such a state could ruin everything for her!

"Stop overreacting, Hermione," she said to herself, trying to put on a brave smile and heading for the front door. She was still in Muggle London after all and no one would recognise her here and even if they did, what chance was there that her superiors would ever find out or even care about the whole thing?

However, as she approached the large revolving glass doors, her worst fear came true. Standing outside on the street pavement, a dozen or more photographers and journalists were eagerly waiting in the cold, snapping pictures as soon as anyone walked out the doors. Hermione quickly hoped that she was mistaken and that they were waiting for a Muggle celebrity, but then she noticed the various odd looking items of Muggle clothing they were all wearing. Some of them were even in robes.

"You see, I told you to wait," a voice spoke up behind her. "Someone must have seen us take off at the party together and tipped them off."

"But why?" Hermione began, clearly staggered by the amount of journalists and photographers waiting outside. "Why are they here? Why do they care?"

"Oh, come on, Granger," Malfoy exclaimed, looking highly amused by the whole situation. "You of all people should know that this would draw the media's attention. One of the Golden Three, Harry Potter's best friend, with a Malfoy?"

"But we're not together!" Hermione hissed at him, trying to understand.

"Exactly."

Looking at the crowd outside in horror, Hermione suddenly felt Malfoy's hand on the small of her back. "I have a car waiting at the back entrance, Granger. You'll be able to sneak out there."

Nodding her head, she followed him and began to feel slightly dazed by the turn of events. She had simply dismissed the whole night as a bad experience and possibly an attack she should report to the Ministry, but she had never thought the wizarding world would take an interest in it. However, Malfoy, being who he was and seeing how generously he spent his fortune, was often spotlighted in the newspapers, his personal life becoming a focus and interest in the media. It was no wonder journalists had jumped at the chance to report seeing him and Hermione together.

Reaching the back door, Hermione noticed a large black car waiting just outside, which Malfoy helped her in like a true gentleman. His manners did nothing to improve Hermione's mood.

"I don't believe it!" she cried out, watching Malfoy slide in next to her. "This is a disaster, it'll be all over the papers tomorrow and my reputation is going to be annihilated! And it's all your fault!"

Malfoy looked back in astonishment. "I just saved your arse by calling for a car, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but now who's going to stay behind and clean up the mess?" Hermione continued, looking out of the window as the car drove out of the alleyway and onto the main street. "You've got nothing to lose about this whole thing, but I have!"

"I'll have you know that I have as much, if not more, to lose than you, Granger, but there's no point in worrying about that. I'll take care of it."

"Like you took care of things last night?" she shot back, turning her head to face him. "Yeah, thanks but no thanks."

His expression turned to stone at her words. Hermione noticed the pupils of his eyes dilate slightly with anger, but he remained silent. She had obviously hit a nerve by refusing his help but since he was the one who had got her into this mess in the first place, he deserved it. Grateful for the silence, Hermione turned to look outside the window again, preferring not to speak until she was home.

Twenty minutes later, the car pulled up outside her block of flats and Granger quickly opened the door.

"Granger, I -"

"Goodbye, Malfoy."

She slammed the door shut and quickly took out her keys and let herself in through the first gate. She didn't want to hear anymore insults from Malfoy's mouth and she certainly didn't want him to think she was going to thank him for taking her home. It was the least he could do after all and besides, once she had talked to Ginny and changed, she was going to think of a way to make him pay for all of it.

And speaking of Ginny, the redhead opened the flat door with a huge smile on her face. "Fun night, Hermione?"

Hermione scowled in return. "We need to talk."

She walked inside and dragged Ginny to the lounge, where she poured herself a glass of water. "You left me all alone with Malfoy last night!"

"Well yeah, that's what you wanted, wasn't it?"

Hermione stared at her confused. "What? No, of course not! I was drunk and you left me _alone_ with Malfoy! And guess where I ended waking up this morning – a bloody hotel room!"

"Congratulations, you shagged Malfoy," Ginny said, laughing softly. "What's the big deal?"

"He attacked me!" Hermione finally burst out, putting down her glass on the coffee table. "He took me to a hotel room and took advantage of me! And the worst is that I don't remember any of it!"

Whether it was from the absurdity of the situation or the lack of sleep, Hermione found herself laughing suddenly. Her eyes, however, were swimming in tears.

Ginny looked puzzled in turn. "Stay here," she told her, standing up. "I'll get you some aspirin and when I get back, you're going to tell me everything. There's no way Draco attacked you – you simply don't remember is all."

Hermione wasn't convinced, but remained silent as she could feel the hangover finally kicking in and her headache and dizziness getting worse. She fell back on the couch and decided to rest her eyes for a while.

As soon as Ginny came back and handed her the medicine, Hermione proceeded to tell her everything that had happened that morning.

"And then, he took me to his car and dropped me off at the flat," Hermione concluded, not without an edge to her voice. She didn't appreciate the smile on Ginny's face.

"What a jerk! You want me to kick his arse?"

"I'm serious, Gin! I don't remember anything and there's no way I would have willingly left with Malfoy last night!"

"Wrong!" the redhead cut in. "Hermione, you got so drunk last night that by midnight I thought it best to take you home. Draco, who you'd been talking to about Merlin knows what all evening, offered to get you a cab and assure you got home safely, but I refused. I then decided to perform a sobering spell to make it easier for you to get home, after which you suddenly decided you'd rather go back with Malfoy and literally begged me to stay and let Malfoy take you."

Hermione goggled at her in astonishment. "I did?"

"You went back with Draco, hon," Ginny continued, standing up to her feet. "And I have a vague feeling you were the one that dragged him to that hotel."

Hermione continued to stare at her, unconvinced, and decided she'd heard enough. Standing up herself, she mumbled that she was going to take a shower. As she walked up the staircase, she heard Ginny's amused voice call out behind her.

"Don't worry, the effects of the spell will soon wear off and your memories will come back. I can help you write an apology note then!"

Minutes later, Hermione was standing under the shower head, letting the hot water soak her hair and warm her body.

She still couldn't believe what Ginny had told her. Had she really willingly left with Malfoy – had she really wanted last night to happen?

She knew she had been upset about seeing Ron's new girlfriend at the party, but she was far from wanting to try and make him jealous by leaving with Malfoy!

She thought over Ginny's words as she picked up the soap and starting cleaning herself absentmindedly. Her headache seemed to have gone for the time being, but she still felt slightly dizzy from the spell and the lack of sleep.

Turning to face the stream of hot water, her foot suddenly slipped and she clung onto the sides of the bathtub in an attempt to break her fall, hitting her backside and elbow in the process. She moaned in pain, rubbing her elbow with one hand, but then sat herself down in the bath, hot water continuing to pour over her.

The shock of her fall was suddenly bringing back to her all sorts of memories.

... _"Ron, it's great to see you again."_

_She's at the bar, ordering a glass of wine when he shows up behind her. He'd been off on an Auror mission and she hadn't seen him in a while. He doesn't look any different, still the same vivid red hair, except he's not alone._

_"Hermione, it's good to see you too."_

_He then turns to the blonde woman next to him and Hermione can't help but notice how pretty she looks in a stunning red dress._

_"This is my friend, Katie. She works at the Auror Headquarters too."_

_Hermione manages to smile and make polite conversation. She soon finds out that Katie isn't just pretty, she's smart too..._

_...She's lost count of the number of cocktails she keeps picking up at the bar. She realises now her mistake to have come alone, without a date. She technically came with Ginny, but that doesn't count anymore. Everyone knows Ginny has Harry._

_She spots Draco Malfoy at the bar, looking deeply bored and sipping a glass of Firewhiskey. She hasn't seen him for a few months, but keeps hearing good things about him from Ginny. She doesn't believe any of it – after all he's still Malfoy._

_She approaches him and senses his grey eyes glance at her. His gesture seems welcoming enough that she sits on the stool next to him._

_"Malfoy, how strange to find you all alone tonight," she tells him. "I'm always used to seeing you accompanied by beautiful women."_

_He swirls his drink in one hand and smirks. "Well, I am now."..._

_...She finds herself flirting with the devil himself and enjoying herself. Who knew Malfoy could hold up an actual conversation? She's already forgotten what they were talking about as the barman serves her yet another cocktail. It's so sweet she can't even taste the alcohol._

_She can't remember what happens next, but a spell is suddenly cast and Hermione feels a lot better, although still light-headed. Ginny wants to take her home, but noticing the blonde woman clinging to Ron's arm by the buffet, Hermione prefers to follow Malfoy._

_"Ginny, please! I'll be all right. I'm actually enjoying myself with Malfoy. Let him take me home."_

_Ginny eyes them both suspiciously, but agrees and before Hermione knows it, she's clinging on to Draco's arm..._

_...She's convinced Malfoy to walk her home, mentioning that she doesn't live far away. They walk down the Strand and end up in the glamourous streets of the West End._

_"You know, I actually own some Muggle property around here. Notably a theatre and a five-star hotel."_

_She can't believe her ears. "Muggle property! Are you serious?"_

_"It was a good investment."_

_She's dying to see what a Muggle hotel owned by a Malfoy looks like and drags him to the street he pointed to._

_"Have you ever spent the night inside?"_

_He laughs, his soft breath creating smoke in the cold night air and she realises that she likes this new side of him._

_"I've been inside once before. I think it was with a Russian witch."_

_She pretends not to hear the last part and takes his hand in her own. "Will you show me?"_

_He tells her it's late, but she won't hear another word and drags him inside. He follows, smiling the whole time, unable to believe her sudden boldness. Once inside, he leads her around, showing her the expensive marble fountain in the lobby and the gold-coloured walls and elevator doors._

_She peeks inside and squeals in delight as he pushes her inside the elevator and presses the top floor. He says he's taking her to see one of the suites, but she knows better. His grey stare looks at her thoughtfully and the two of them stand in silence for a while. She puts her hand on his arm, caressing the soft material of his dark coat, smiling the whole time. She can't control the urge to have him closer and grabs his collar with both hands, pulling him towards her._

_He responds by curling his fingers around the back of her neck, his thumb caressing her cheek._

_His mouth is cold, but surprisingly soft and she melts into his kiss..._

_...His mouth is hot against her skin and she arches her back with pleasure as she whispers his name in the moonlit bed over and over again._

_"Draco – Oh God, Draco."..._

Hermione stepped out of the elevator and instantly regretted not sending an owl. She had spent all morning debating the best way to apologise to Malfoy and had finally decided to confront him in person. As she walked down the corridor, however, she found herself having cold feet.

She thought she was done with him. She thought she would never have to confront Malfoy again, that he had attacked her or something and that she'd have to report him, but instead she found herself holding her breath.

Wringing her hands, she looked around from door to door looking for Malfoy's office along the corridor and finally spotted a secretary sitting behind a tall wooden desk.

"I'm looking for Mr. Malfoy," she asked after a moment's hesitation.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No. Could you let him know Hermione Granger is here to see him."

A couple of minutes later, Hermione was being shown the way to his office. Why was she so nervous seeing him again when she had been perfectly content to shout at him barely two days ago? The return of her memories had changed her whole perception of him and Hermione had wanted to kick herself for behaving so badly at the hotel. And to think that she had thought he had attacked her, possibly violated her, when all along she had been the one to initiate the whole thing!

The problem remained though that along with her memories, Hermione's attraction and possibly feelings for Malfoy had also returned and so she had promised herself to at least try and make things right with him. His reaction to her visit, however, was what she feared most.

"Granger," he greeted her as soon as she walked in. "What a pleasant surprise. I see you haven't eaten your handbag yet."

She looked back at him, confused, until she remembered her own words that particular morning.

"Malfoy," she began, trying to control her nerves. "I came here to tell you that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have judged so quickly, but I didn't remember anything and I guess I was afraid and well, embarassed about the whole situation."

He sat back in his leather chair behind his desk, listening intently, and Hermione suddenly felt as if she were back at Hogwarts confronting McGonagall.

"I guess I should have waited for my memories to come back first before accusing you of attacking me when clearly -"

"Clearly it was the other way around," he finished for her with an amused smile.

Hermione lowered her gaze and blushed slightly. "I wouldn't go that far."

"Apology accepted, Granger," he told her, standing up to walk around his desk towards her. "Besides, I knew the side effects of the sobering spell and shouldn't have provoked you in the first place."

She looked up at him as he spoke and smiled. She couldn't believe her ears – Malfoy was actually admitting his fault.

"I didn't mean what I said," he added, tipping his head to the side, his eyes locking with hers.

Hermione felt a sudden rush of heat to her cheeks and decided to leave before doing anything silly.

"Well, I'd better get back to the Ministry. My lunch break's nearly over and I said everything I wanted to so..."

He had already turned his back to her to sit at his desk again and Hermione felt a twinge of disappointment as she turned to leave his office.

"Granger -"

She stopped to face him once more.

"I have reservations for a new Muggle restaurant opening next Saturday. Would you like to come with me?"

Her stomach clenched. "Why Malfoy, are you asking me out on a date?"

The neutral expression on his face turned into a smirk. "Well, now that I know about your weakness for cocktails, why not?"

"It's not my fault the party had an open bar!"

His raised eyebrow, however, suggested otherwise.

"Fine," she gave in, smiling slightly. "I'll see you on Saturday. Goodbye, Draco."

"Goodbye, Hermione."

* * *

**A/N:** This fic was a lot of fun to write! :) Please tell me what you guys think, reviews are always appreciated!


	3. Draco Malfoy is a jerk!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Harry Potter series, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling. Nor do I own Tanya Donelly's song "So Much Song".

**Summary: **Hermione has had enough of meeting Draco in broom closets! Written for elyaeru who gave me the prompt 'skeleton'!

Enjoy!

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******

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**Draco Malfoy is a Jerk!**

**--**

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**

Hermione took a deep breath and turned around the corner. Although it was lunchtime, a handful of students still roamed the corridors on their way to the library or back to their dorms.

Her fingers tugging at the sleeves of her grey sweater, she carried on walking down the corridor, peeking behind her every so often to make sure she was alone. Slowing down as she reached the first classroom door on her right, she looked up around her once more, before grasping the doorknob of the broom closet nearby and swiftly walking inside.

Hermione shut the door behind her and stumbled around in the dark for a minute, wondering whether she should use her wand to cast a light and finally decided not to. Draco would be there soon and then it wouldn't matter anymore whether it was dark or light.

She began to shiver from the sudden cold inside the closet and decided that next time they really should pick a more romantic, or at least more comfortable, spot to meet up in secret. Hogwarts' broom closets were indeed notorious as rendez-vous points for couples, but they also happened to be small, damp cupboards, crammed with all sorts of junk, which were never comfortable to lean against when making out and which often smelled like cabbage and mouse faeces. Once, Draco had even dragged her inside the Christmas decorations' closet and Hermione had spent the rest of the evening hiding in the girl's bathroom trying to untangle multiple streaks of tinsel out of her hair.

This time, she had decided, she would tell Draco exactly what she thought of his cunning plan to meet in broom closets and that he had better come up with a more comfortable and larger meeting place and fast!

Hearing the door suddenly click, Hermione looked up and caught a glimpse of pale skin and blond hair slide in before the room was plunged back into darkness.

"Fancy meeting you here, Granger," Draco drawled, stepping closer against her. Although Hermione could barely make out his features in the dark, she could tell that he was smiling.

"Glad to hear you're in such a good mood," she told him, crossing her arms over her chest. Draco, however, decided to ignore her stance and quickly pulled her hips towards him.

"I detect sarcasm in your voice, Granger," he replied amused, prying her arms apart and lacing his fingers with hers. "Is something wrong?"

"Apart from the fact that I can't see you and even your expensive cologne doesn't block out the awful smell in this closet, really no – nothing at all!"

She pried her fingers away from his, determined not to let him have his way, and decided keeping her distance from him might help. After taking a couple of steps back, however, her shoe suddenly made contact with something soft and squishy.

Retreating her foot, Hermione leapt forward at the same time, bumping into Draco, who held her firmly against him and started laughing.

"Draco, I'm serious!" she hissed at him, hesitantly putting her foot down again. "I hate meeting like this – these closets are just horrible and we can't even bloody see each other! I've had enough and you'd better come up with a different location tomorrow or you won't be seeing me again for a very long time."

That shut him up, but she could still hear him smiling in the dark and it annoyed her.

"I'm sorry, love," he whispered, pulling her back towards him, the tip of his fingers caressing the small of her back. "I promise you next time we'll meet somewhere else and I'll make it up to you."

"Promise?" she asked him, no longer resisting his pull and sliding her arms around his neck.  
"Of course," he replied, before kissing her fully on the lips.

She smiled against his lips as he kissed her eagerly, making her grasp his shoulders as she stumbled slowly backwards. The shelves at the back of the cupboard abruptly hit her neck and back, but she barely noticed as Draco deepened the kiss, sliding his hand down her thigh, whilst the other one grasped the back of her neck. Hermione moaned in response and quickly wrapped her leg around his waist, bringing him in closer and making him groan from the sudden contact. She smiled at his response, but immediately gasped in delight as she felt his cold touch against her skin at the rim of her skirt. She was so caught up in the moment that it took her a few seconds to realise that his cold hand was giving her goose bumps.

"Draco, stop it – your hand is cold," she told him, laughing slightly.

"Sorry," he said quickly and moved his hand away from her neck.

The cold touch was still brushing against her hip bone though causing her to giggle. "You know I'm ticklish," she told him. "Stop it."

However, just as she grabbed his arm to pull away his hand, she realised it was actually still caressing her thigh and not her hip bone. The cold hand brushing against her skin didn't belong to Draco!

Her eyes opened wide and she screamed in fright before darting across the closet, pushing Draco out of her way. She reached the wall and desperately began searching for the door handle and her wand.

"Damn it, Hermione! What the hell is wrong with you?" Draco asked her annoyed.

"Something was touching me in the dark!" she yelled, hitting her elbow against a shelf in her agitation to find the doorknob. "There's someone in here!"

She suddenly heard him begin to rummage in the dark and finally locating her wand, she instantly cried, "Lumos!"

It took a few seconds for her eyes to become adjusted to the sudden light, but then she clearly distinguished Draco retrieving his own wand from his back pocket all the while jiggling a finger in his ear hole. After all, she had screamed in fright right next to him.

"Are you sure?" he asked her in disbelief. "This is a pretty small cupboard, I think we would have noticed if someone else was here."

Hermione nodded back at him, shaking like a leaf.

"All right, hold on," he told her, turning around to face the cluttered shelves behind him holding out his own lit wand.

"Draco, wait it's not safe," Hermione suddenly spoke up, realising something dangerous – or even someone – could be with them right now, ready to attack them at any instant. "We should leave."

He kept rummaging through the mess, however, as if he hadn't heard her.

"Draco, I'm serious," she continued, her hand closing around the small door handle. "Stay here if you want, but I'm leaving -"

"Hang on," Draco cut in, his voice becoming serious all of a sudden. "I think I've found something."

She fell silent as her hands resumed shaking and shivers suddenly run up her spine. Something had been touching her around her waist, something cold - and now that she came to think of it, soft - had been caressing her skin! The mere thought of it made her want to run out of the closet as far away as possible, but she also felt the need to stay with Draco.

"Come here," he told her, "I need you to cover me."

She took a hesitant step forward, holding out her wand. "What is it? What have you found?"

"I'm not sure yet," he continued, trying to pull something out from all the clutter before stopping all of a sudden. "Merlin, there's something here!"

Hermione crept closer, all the while trying to distinguish in the dark what he had found among the shelves.

"Hermione!" Draco suddenly exclaimed, no longer moving. The panic in his voice caused her to freeze, her heart beating wildly against her chest.

Daring to turn her face slightly to peer over Draco's shoulder, he suddenly whirled around at her.

"Was it THIS?"

Before her mind could register what was happening, something big and dark jumped right at her all of a sudden and its cold touch brushed against her face. Hermione screamed in horror, her arms instantly whipping up to protect her, causing her to drop her wand and to stumble backwards towards the closet door.

Frightened out of her mind, Hermione's hands desperately searched for the door handle in the dark. A hand suddenly tried to grab her from behind and she screamed in fright once more. Her right hand finally found the cool brass handle and clasping it tight, she bolted out of the closet. Her eyes winced at the sudden bright light and before she could figure out where she was running to, her foot hit something hard on the floor, causing her to trip and fall to the ground.

Breathing hard and still shaking all over, Hermione slowly came to her senses and realised that the corridor was strangely silent. Looking up behind her, she unexpectedly noticed a line of first-year students queued outside the classroom door and all watching her with wide eyes. The last one in line had apparently dropped his book bag on the floor in front of the closet door, causing Hermione to trip. Next to him, Draco slowly emerged from the closet, holding a life-size plastic skeleton in one hand and her wand in the other.

The bastard was barely containing his laughter.

"The closet's packed with Halloween decorations and this skeleton was stuck between the shelves. You must have -" He stopped short as soon as he noticed the first-years and immediately began to sneer at them, causing them to turn away from Hermione and suddenly hurry inside the nearby classroom.

Hermione looked back at Draco, then at the skeleton with incredulous eyes, and then proceeded to pick herself up with as much dignity as she could muster.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry. I didn't realise you were so scared," he told her, throwing the skeleton back in the closet quickly, looking concerned as he noticed her grazed knee.

As he took a step forward, however, Hermione gave him a cold look.

"Draco Malfoy, you are the biggest jerk I have ever met!" she shouted at him, before snatching her wand from his hand and turning away.

"Hermione, I'm really sorry," he called after her, his face stricken with guilt as she headed towards the girl's bathroom.

"Just leave me alone!" she shouted in return, all her fear suddenly transformed into rage.

As soon as she had turned the corner, she started running back up to her dorm, wand in hand, all the while muttering healing charms for her knee.

Damn that stupid idiot! She couldn't believe how immature boys could be! But even more, she couldn't believe what an idiot she had been for letting herself be so scared. It was bad enough that she had humiliated herself in front of Draco, but she had also made a fool out of herself in front of first-year students, who were supposed to look up to her.

She felt her eyes suddenly begin to prick with tears, but she refused to let herself cry. Instead, the image of Draco, looking shocked, dishevelled and clutching onto a plastic skeleton in one hand popped to the front of her mind and her face broke into a smile.

They had both been ridiculous, but that was the last time she would ever set foot in a closet again.

--

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--

The next day, Hermione received a dozen red roses at breakfast and then Draco spent the rest of the day trying to tell her how much he was sorry. Even Harry and Ron found it strange that he repeatedly needed to speak with her in private, but everytime Draco approached her, she ignored him and walked away.

At lunch time he sent her three private owls. By dinner a box of her favourite sweets with a 'sorry' note and by curfew, he was hovering outside her window on his broomstick desperately knocking on her window and asking her to at least talk to him.

By the third day, his relentlessness finally dissolved the rest of her anger and she was willing to listen to him. As he appeared before her after lunch, she let him accompany her down to the pumpkin patch, on her way to Hagrid's.

"Hermione, you're right, I'm a jerk," he told her, trying to keep up with her fast pace. "It was a stupid joke and it'll never happen again, I promise!"

"And you're sorry you made me look like a fool in front of a bunch of first-years?"

The shadow of a smile crossed his lips, but it vanished almost as soon as it appeared and instead earnest grey eyes stared back at her.

"Extremely sorry."

"And you agree that your idea of meeting in broom closets was the worst one ever and a Slytherin should know better?"

She watched him squirm with the idea of openly admitting that he had faulted as a Slytherin and that a Gryffindor was right.

"Well, I –er, that's to say -"

She raised an eyebrow and he immediately found a response.

"Broom closet was a crap idea and I will find much more suitable accommodation next time," he told her, smirking slightly. "So, am I forgiven?"

She stopped and pretended to ponder his words with serious thought, but the truth was she had already forgiven him. Now, she was simply testing him and thoroughly enjoying having him wrapped around her little finger. It suddenly occurred to her that it was always been the other way around before.

"Fine. Apology accepted," she said and continued marching on.

"So, we're good?" he asked hesitantly, not sure what to make of her answer.

The sudden lack of confidence in his posture and face made her heart melt. "Of course," she told him, her face softening a little.

He smiled in return and took her hand in his. She let him, but then her eyes narrowed down at him darkly.

"But if you ever try to scare me like that again, Draco Malfoy," she threatened him in a very cold and very final voice. "I will hex you to hell and back, do you understand?"

His custom devilish smirk appeared on his face and lifting his eyes to make sure no one else could see them, he pulled her closer and whispered. "From you, Granger, I wouldn't expect anything less."

Kissing her softly on the cheek, he then turned around and began his ascent back to the castle.

"Cheeky sod," Hermione whispered to herself as she watched him leave, the corner of her lips slowly curving upwards.

********

**Another fun one-shot I wrote a while back :-)**


	4. Misunderstandings

**My entry for the 2009 dmhgficexchange. Enjoy! :)**

**Title:** Misunderstandings

**Author:** hathor x

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** Everything belongs to J. K. Rowling and no money is being made. I am merely playing with her characters.

**Summary:** As their relationship starts going downhill, Draco and Hermione each seek advice from their friends instead of settling things between them. Complications ensue… Canon compliant, EWE.

**Notes:** A massive thanks to lj user=cyyt and lj user=jasmina22 for beta-reading!

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**Misunderstandings**

**************************..~**~..**

"Something's wrong," Draco announced, as soon as he set foot through the front door.

Blaise barely sidestepped out of the way as Draco shot past him and straight ahead towards the kitchen.

"Well, hello to you too," Blaise mumbled to himself, following his best friend into the kitchen and not in the least bit surprised to find him rummaging through his fridge in search of alcohol.

"Don't you have any decent booze around here?" Draco asked, not quite satisfied with the bottled beer he'd found.

"No," Blaise shot back. "But if you had the decency to wait, you'd realise I have some Firewhiskey waiting for us in the lounge."

Draco shrugged, opening the beer with the one hand and downing half the bottle before slamming it on the counter. "Are the others here yet?"

"No, you're early," Blaise answered, eyeing his friend in concern as he perched himself on a stool at the counter. "Now what's this about something being wrong? What's going on?"

Draco gripped the counter top with both his hands in response and slowly raised his head up.

"I haven't had sex in a week," he finally admitted weakly.

His words nearly caused Blaise to topple over, but his Quidditch reflexes luckily saved him from a ridiculous fall.

"I'm sorry," Blaise said, trying not to laugh in his friend's face. "What was that?"

"I haven't had sex in a week," Draco repeated, through gritted teeth. "That's what's bloody wrong!"

Blaise couldn't help but smirk in response. "And what exactly are you suggesting I do about it?"

"Shut it," Draco warned him. "Seriously though, something's wrong. I've barely seen her all week and everytime I try anything she says she's too tired."

He grabbed his beer again and sat down on the stool opposite Blaise, looking utterly miserable.

"Maybe she's cheating on you," Blaise told him, grabbing the second beer for himself.

"No chance in hell."

Blaise rolled his eyes in response. "Oh come on, don't tell me it never even crossed your mind. Maybe she's found another Unspeakable to hook up with and they're doing 'unspeakable' things together."

"She was a Gryffindor!" Draco hissed at him, suddenly feeling the need to protect his girlfriend from Blaise's twisted ideas. "She's practically the definition of loyal! That's why I know she'd never cheat on me. No, something else is up and I need to find out what."

"Fine, so she wouldn't cheat on you with an Unspeakable… but perhaps something's going on with Weasley again—"

"Don't even go there," Draco cut him off with a growl.

"Ok, ok," Blaise relented, taking another sip of his beer and silently wishing the other guys would arrive already so he would no longer be forced to listen to Draco's girlfriend problems. Besides, Blaise Zabini had his own problems to deal with. A certain little redhead kept plaguing his mind recently and he didn't know what to do about it. He usually loved women too much to settle down with just the one girl. As far as he was concerned, girlfriends were bothersome, clingy creatures, who never understood his bachelor needs and always used sex as a bargaining chip. And yet, the thought of claiming the redhead for himself didn't seem to bother him at all...

"Have you tried asking her about it?" he finally suggested.

"You mean asking her if she's lying about being tired and if there's actually another reason behind her not wanting to have sex with me?" Draco asked flatly. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, why not?" Blaise shrugged. "Isn't that the whole point of these silly relationships; being able to trust the other person and share everything with them? So for instance when problems like yours arise, you can both talk to each other like normal grown-ups and not let it come in between you."

Draco glanced up at his friend, suddenly eyeing him suspiciously. "You know for such a hardcore bachelor you sure don't talk like one. You're not hiding something from me, are you?"

Blaise snorted in response. "Yes, I've secretly been dating Parkinson for the past six months and we hope to get married within the year."

"Whatever you say," Draco said, grimacing slightly at the idea of Blaise and Pansy getting married.

"But seriously what the hell am I supposed to do? I'm going crazy here not knowing if I've done something wrong, if I should apologise, buy her some flowers, dinner, shoes, a car, anything!"

"Man, she's got you whipped," Blaise chuckled, finishing the last drops of his beer. "Just talk to her and find out what's wrong. It can't be that hard! Take her out on a date or something, get her drunk, anything, but stop being such a pussy about it!"

"Don't call me a pussy!" Draco protested, looking highly offended.

"Then just grow a pair already and bloody talk to her! And stop nagging me every time you have problems with Hermione," Blaise lectured him just as the doorbell rang. "Finally! Let's get this poker game started. Guys' night tonight, remember?"

And with that he stepped back out of the kitchen to open the door, leaving Draco alone with his thoughts.

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* * *

Ginny wasn't the type to mope around at home all by herself on Friday nights. She usually looked forward to going out with friends, going clubbing or out for dinner with her boyfriend, but ever since she'd broken up with Harry, most of her Friday nights, she'd realised, were spent at home in her London flat.

That's why when Hermione suddenly called her late at night and asked her to meet her for a drink in Hogsmeade, she heartily accepted.

"Weren't you supposed to be out on a date with Draco?" Ginny asked, seating herself down opposite Hermione at one of the corner tables of the Three Broomsticks.

"Yes, I was and that's also the reason why I asked you to meet me here afterwards," Hermione replied, her hand heading straight for the non-alcoholic cocktail Ginny had picked out for her.

"Went that badly, eh?"

"I don't even know where to begin," Hermione told her, gulping down the pink beverage as if her mouth were on fire.

"You sure you don't want alcohol in that?"

"No it's fine. My mind's jumbled up already as it is…"

Ginny shook her head at her best friend's sudden state of distress. "So what happened now?"

"It was just… weird," Hermione admitted.

"Weird? Weird how?" Ginny asked.

"Well for starters he put gel in his hair," Hermione said, lowering her voice to a whisper. "And I know it made him look really hot and stuff, but well… we're not in Hogwarts anymore! He hasn't used gel in years! So yeah… I thought that was strange."

Ginny tried not to sigh in frustration. "If you called me all the way out here to discuss hairgel, I swear to Merlin—"

"But it wasn't just the gel!" Hermione cried out. "It was everything! The way he dressed, the way he acted around me, the restaurant he chose, it was like he was trying to impress me or something. Like back when we first started dating."

"He's just trying to be romantic, Hermione," Ginny explained, rolling her eyes. "He probably isn't used to it."

"But he is! Draco can be incredibly romantic when he wants to, he can be really sweet at times as well. Like, for example, once he—"

"No, not listening," the redhead cut off, suddenly covering her ears with her hands.

Hermione rolled her eyes in frustration at her friend's antics before leaning over to tug both her arms. "I wasn't about to say anything dirty!"

"Yeah well, I can still do without hearing the words 'Draco' and 'sweet' in the same sentence," Ginny retorted, still making a face as she reached for her beverage again.

"Fine, but as I was saying, the whole dinner just went from uncomfortable to downright awkward. He kept asking me all these questions about work and stuff. He especially wanted to know who I was working with, what they looked like, how old they were and if I thought some of them were better-looking than him!"

"What did you say?"

"Nothing!" Hermione answered truthfully. "I work at the Department of Mysteries. I couldn't answer his questions even if I wanted to and he kept pushing the issue until he started looking angry and then he suddenly asked me if I'd seen Ron recently."

Ginny's eyes grew wide. "He didn't!"

"Yeah, he did," Hermione said quietly. She expelled a very weary-sounding breath before continuing. "I told him I hadn't. That Ron was still on his _honeymoon_ with his _wife_ and that I wanted to know why he wanted to know."

"What did he tell you?"

"He said it didn't matter. That he didn't care either way whether I saw Ron or not since he still met up with some of his ex-girlfriends. "

"Sluts," Ginny interjected.

"And then he said I shouldn't mind it either seeing the recent amount of fun we've been having together anyway. Or at least something like that, I wasn't sure. I just didn't understand what he was getting at and felt so confused. He wouldn't look me in the eye afterwards and that's when I made up an excuse and left to call you."

Hermione stopped, wringing her hands together nervously. "I just… I don't know. I don't know what's going on with him and it freaked me out. It was all so awkward and I've been so tired with work recently that I simply couldn't deal with his behaviour. What do you think it meant? What on earth was he trying to say?"

"He's cheating on you," Ginny stated matter-of-factly, curling her hands up into fists. "That bastard!"

"What? How do you know?"

"He's seeing his exes again, isn't he? And knowing the bunch of whores he used to hang out with, you know they're not hanging out to talk about the good old days in Slytherin," Ginny ranted angrily. "Not only that, but he's obviously suggesting you find someone else as well."

Hermione shook her head in confusion. "But I don't understand. Why would he do that?"

"He said it, didn't he? He's not having fun anymore!"

"Fun?"

Ginny drummed her fingers against the table impatiently. "Merlin, must I spell everything out for you? Sex, Hermione, he wants sex!"

Hermione squeaked in embarassment as Ginny's voice carried out throughout the Three Broomsticks.

"Ginny, keep your voice down, would you?" she told her friend off.

"How long has it been since you two did it?" Ginny continued, in hushed tones.

"I don't know exactly. Maybe over a week… but surely that isn't long enough to cause him to cheat on me," Hermione thought out loud, swirling the last drops of the pink drink in her tall glass.

"Any particular reason why you two haven't —""

"I'm too bloody tired for sex, alright?" Hermione burst out, causing some nearby customers to jump.

"I've got a lot going on at the moment and Draco's needs just aren't top of my list right now! He hasn't stopped nagging me about it all of last week!"

"Okay, okay I get it," Ginny backed down, surprised at the sudden outburst. "Jeez, no need to get so touchy. So, you see, you're not giving it to him and now he's gone to find it somewhere else."

"Damn it, that bastard," Hermione swore under her breath. "So what do I do now then?"

Ginny's lips slowly curled into a wicked smile. "If he's really cheating on you — and Merlin help him if Harry ever finds out — then we need to catch him in the act, so to speak. First, you need to stalk him. Now listen closely…"

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

"There you are!"

Draco looked up from the pile of work stacked on his desk as his best friend marched inside his office as if he owned the place and sat down comfortably in the leather armchair across from him.

"What the hell do you want, Blaise?" Draco asked through gritted teeth.

"Damn! Moody at all this morning?" Blaise answered, shifting noisily around in his seat as he noticed the mass of paperwork on Draco's desk. "I was actually here 'cause I have tickets to the next Quidditch World Cup for you. Remember… Quidditch? The game you used to love so much. You know, you really should give it another try. This whole Auror job seems too much of a hassle. I mean, the stress alone will probably soon cause your hair to fall out and —"

"I suggest you leave before I throw you out of this office myself," Draco hissed, his voice cold as winter.

Blaise stopped dead in his tracks. "Is something wrong? Is Hermione still mad at you?"

Draco fought down the urge to punch his friend. "Of course something's wrong, you idiot! Hermione still isn't speaking to me! If it wasn't for you and your brilliant ideas, she wouldn't be so —"

"Now just hold on a second there, mate," Blaise cut off, his brows furrowed. "I told you to talk to her, not switch into Auror mode and question her relentlessly about potential lovers!"

"Well, who suggested she was cheating on me in the first place?" Draco growled.

"And just who declared in return that she was the very definition of loyal?" Blaise calmly pointed out.

Not anticipating Blaise's retort, Draco preferred to keep his mouth shut.

"You see," Blaise continued, flashing a smile. "I told you you weren't cut out for relationships. Now look at the mess you've done. You should have stuck to the facts and just asked her point blank what was wrong."

Draco sighed deeply and slowly running his hands through his hair. "Damn it, I hate it when you're right. Now what do I do?"

"Well, judging by her reaction, you obviously offended her and my guess would be that it's pretty bad," Blaise told him, as Draco slumped forward, hiding his face in his crossed arms and groaned. "I can't help you myself, but I know someone who might be able to give you some advice."

Draco barely lifted his head in response. "Who?"

Blaise scratched his chin thoughtfully and then dug through his jean pockets, quickly retrieiving his cell phone. "My friend Will was having problems with his wife last year and he went to a Seer for help. He told me she was amazing and did wonders for his marriage. He swears he's never had an argument with his wife ever since. Hang on…"

He flipped his phone open and quickly searched through his contacts.

"And who the hell is Will?" Draco asked with disbelief, having already met some of Blaise's rather questionable friends.

"You know," Blaise answered quickly, "Will! Tall guy, dark hair, three years ahead of us in Hogwarts…?"

"Never heard of —"

"Found him!" Blaise exclaimed, quickly scrambling to his feet. "Let me just give him a quick call and I'll fix you right up with that Seer. Thank Merlin Hermione managed to tweak my cell last time she came over or I'd never be able to call from here. Damn magic interference!"

"Blaise!" Draco called out in a warning tone. "If this is another one of your flimsy ideas that will get me into even more trouble with Hermione, I swear to Salazar I will hex you to hell and back! You got that?"

There was a slight pause before Blaise's mouth twisted into a smirk. "Hey, do you want to win her back or not?"

He then left the office, closing the door behind and Draco's head finally slumped back on his desk with a groan.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

Hermione had never been so humiliated in her entire life!

After three days of stalking her boyfriend from home to work and back, she finally followed him one evening all the way out to Hogsmeade. Conversation between them had been kept to a minimal ever since the disastrous date, neither one knowing how to approach the other and when Draco had left their flat on the third night, Hermione had naturally followed him, determined to find out once and for all if he was truly being unfaithful to her.

He had told her that he was going out for a drink with Blaise before leaving, but she had somehow ended up following him past the Hog's Head to the more residential part of Hogsmeade.

She couldn't believe her eyes when he had stopped outside a small white cottage and a scantily-clad woman had greeted him at the front door.

"Miss Dita Kelly, the mailbox said," Hermione finished explaining to Ginny, drawing a ragged breath. "If that isn't a blatant hooker name, then I don't know what is."

Although her tone tried to seem light, Ginny knew that inside the revelation was silently killing her friend.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry," Ginny said, glancing worriedly at her friend, sitting on her couch in her pyjamas with an ice-cream tub clasped in her hands. "I really wish I'd been wrong on this one. Merlin, when Harry and Ron find out —"

"You can't tell them!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed, glancing up anxiously at Ginny. "Please Gin, promise me you won't tell them. They can't know about this. If they do, things will get out of hand and…"

She didn't finish her sentence, but Ginny understood what she meant. If Harry and Ron ever found out about Draco's cheating, who knew what they'd do to their once-bitter enemy.

"It's okay, I won't tell them," the redhead promised, curling up beside her friend and holding her tightly as tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. "Don't worry, Hermione, I'm here for you. You'll be okay, I'm here for you…"

But as Ginny noticed the completely shattered look on her friend's face with tears slowly rolled down her cheeks, she wondered whether things could ever be alright for her again. Whether Harry, Ron and Ginny accepted it or not, they all knew that Draco was the love of Hermione's life and his betrayal had surely torn her apart.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

The front door creaked open revealing a sleepy-eyed Blaise Zabini.

"Where the hell is he?" Ginny immediately yelled at him.

"I'm guessing you mean Draco?" Blaise suggested, casually leaning against the doorway and stifling a yawn.

To Ginny's surprise he was only wearing a pair of boxer shorts, revealing his well-built torso. Forbidding herself to oogle at him even for a second, she forced herself to focus solely on her anger instead.

"Yes, the arrogant bastard that you call your best friend," she supplied for him, pushing her way inside Blaise's house. "Where is he?"

"That's none of your business," he answered, pushing in turn past her towards the kitchen. "But I'm guessing probably in his bed at home sleeping."

He went to pour himself a glass of water before noticing the little Weasley had followed his every step.

"He's not with Hermione," she told him, through gritted teeth. "Now tell me where he's staying so I can go kick his sorry butt."

"Kick his sorry butt?" Blaise repeated slowly, turning to face her and then looked her over in a way that made her uncomfortable. "Now that I'd definitely pay to see."

His playful tone immediately dissipated Ginny's anger, making her feel slightly awkward. How exactly was she supposed to question him when he was standing half-naked in front of her and talking to her in that husky tone?

"Just tell me where he is, Blaise," she finally mumbled, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on his face and nowhere else. "I have to talk to him. What he did to Hermione —"

"What do you mean?" he cut in suddenly looking serious.

"The bastard cheated on her!" Ginny spat out angrily. "But I'm sure you already knew about that since you probably arranged the meet up with that hooker for him in the first place."

"What the hell are you raving on about woman?" he exclaimed, clearly irritated. "First you wake me up in the middle of the night screaming like a banshee to let you in and then you sputter all this nonsense at me about Draco cheating on Hermione! Are you on drugs or something? Or is all this a crazy plan for you to see me with nothing on but my boxers?"

His smirk became downright sinful and Ginny inwardly shuddered at the intense look he was giving her.

"You know, ever since you and Potter broke up, I've noticed the looks you've been throwing me," he told her, taking a step towards her.

"In your dreams, Zabini," she answered weakly, stepping backwards in turn and inevitably bumping into the sink behind her.

He leaned forward even more, but quickly regaining her senses, Ginny put a hand on his chest, stopping him abruptly.

"Don't," she told him with more resolve. "This isn't the time. I really have to find Draco before Hermione completely freaks out on me and Harry and Ron find out what's happened. Hermione's been stalking Draco for the past three days now and she swears she saw him go to some sort of hooker in Hogsmeade. He's cheated on her and now she's devastated and I have to beat him to a bloody pulp for it so if you're not going to help me, get out of the way and —"

But just as she was about to push Blaise out of the way altogether, the kitchen lights were abruptly switched on and a murderous-looking Draco appeared in the doorway, clad in boxers and a t-shirt.

"What did you say?" he asked his voice barely above a whisper.

Ginny suddenly realised that Draco had been sleeping in Blaise's house all along and had probably woken up from her screaming. She sent a murderous glare at Blaise in turn, who merely shrugged but quickly stepped away from her nonetheless.

"Fine, so I lied," he told her, picking up his glass again. "He asked to crash at my place for the night and he just looked so damn miserable that I didn't want him to be woken up unless it was really urgent —"

But Draco, who wasn't listening to him, caught Ginny's shoulder before she could retaliate and turned her to face him.

"Tell me," he pleaded, obviously trying to keep his anger at Blaise under control. He knew going to see that Seer had been a grave mistake. She hadn't even been able to help him at all.

"Hermione saw you at Hogsmeade meet with _that woman_," Ginny answered with venom in her voice. "She had her suspicions that you were cheating before, but now she knows for sure and she's devastated!"

"Where is she?" Draco demanded harshly and Ginny was slightly taken aback that he didn't look remorseful at all.

Her brown eyes narrowed angrily in return. "She doesn't want to see you."

Draco's jaw clenched, his anxious look suddenly turning cold.

The dangerous glint to his eyes instinctly caused Ginny to take a step back, softly bumping into Blaise, who was instantly by her side, a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Just tell him where she is, Ginny," he coaxed her softly and before she could stop herself, the words tumbled out of her mouth.

"She's staying at my place."

Draco immediately left the kitchen, running back up the stairs, no doubt in search of his wand so he could Apparate away.

Ginny remained frozen on the spot, not really knowing what to make of Draco's behaviour and slowly looked up at Blaise, still standing beside her, for an explanation.

"Don't worry, it's me he's angry at, not you," he said calmly, moving away to fill up his glass again. "I'm the one who suggested that he rendez-vous with a Seer so she could help fix his problems with Hermione, but I guess that just fucked things up even more."

Ginny stared back at him in surprise. "A Seer?"

"Yeah, but now that I think about it, I guess it really was a stupid idea," he admitted, standing before her once more as he casually leaned against the counter. "No wonder he came back looking even more miserable than before."

"He really should have just talked to her about their problems like a grown-up," Ginny said more to herself, shaking her head slightly.

"That's exactly what I said!" Blaise informed her, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "But you think he listens to me? I told him he wasn't a relationship guy because whether he wants to admit it or not, he gets too emotional when things go bad."

Ginny bit down on her lip as she tried not to snort in response. "Draco Malfoy? Emotional?"

"Trust me, I've known him for a long time," Blaise told her, his lips slowly curling into a smile. "Besides, you've got to admit, nothing's ever simple with those two."

"I guess they have been through quite a lot of drama since they started dating," Ginny admitted, smiling in turn and then quickly realised that this was probably the first civil conversation she'd ever had with Blaise.

Coughing nervously, she realised she should probably leave before things got awkward again. "Well… I'll be going. Sorry for the abrupt wake-up call."

He glanced down, staring at her curiously. "Anytime, little Weasley."

She smiled shyly before pivoting on her heel and heading for the front door. However, as her fingers latched on the doorhandle, she jumped as she suddenly heard Blaise's voice speaking up behind her.

"By the way," he began, covering her hand with his and causing her face to flush. "What exactly did you mean earlier by it not being a good time? Are you saying someday they'll be a right time, one without Draco suddenly interrupting us?"

Ginny slowly turned around, ignoring the increase of her heartbeat, and glanced up at him.

"Well, that all depends," she told him in a sly tone. "Have you suddenly decided to stop clinging on to bachelor ways or does the word 'girlfriend' still frighten you?"

He smirked in return, his eyes flashing.

"You don't scare me."

And before Ginny could react, he pulled her face to his and pressed his lips upon her own.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

Draco had never run so quickly in his life. Of course, there was the time when he had run away in fear from seeing Voldemort in the Forbbiden Forest in his first year at Hogwarts and also the time when he had run from Hogwarts after witnessing Dumbledore's murder, but none of those came to mind as he ran down the small residential street.

As soon as Ginny had given Hermione's current location, Draco wasted no time fetching his wand and apparating as close to Ginny's flat as possible, avoiding the Anti-Apparition wards and also avoiding being caught by Muggles. Finding himself in a small backalley, his legs had instantly sprinted towards the end of the street, where he knew the redhead lived. He had been invited to her flat with Hermione on more than one occasion for various celebrations and therefore his feet knew exactly, which street corner to turn and which gate to pass.

Running up the stairs to the top floor, an uneasy feeling clutched his gut as he recalled Ginny's words to him.

_He cheated on her and now she's devastated._

_She doesn't want to see you._

Finally reaching the door, he halted for just one second, before knocking a couple of times. He realised that it was well past midnight and that Hermione might be asleep, but he didn't care. He simply ihad/i to see her. He ihad/i to explain.

Hearing no answer, he knocked again.

"Hermione, it's me!" he called out. "Open up!"

Still no answer.

"I know you're in there," he continued, this time pounding on the door. "I need to talk to you. Please, open up!"

Still getting no answer, he hit the door with his fist in frustration.

"Damn it, Hermione! Open up already or I swear I'll —"

The door suddenly creaked open, cutting him off and as Draco caught sight of his girlfriend's face behind it, he tried his best not to scowl.

She looked a mess. Dark rings circled her red eyes as dried up tear-tracks streamed her face. She obviously hadn't been asleep as she was still dressed in jeans and a sweater.

"What do you want?" she croaked, pointedly avoiding his gaze.

"We need to talk," he told her. "Can you let me in?"

"There's nothing to talk about," she retorted, closing the door on him, but he stuck his foot out, forcefully pushing his way in.

"Hear me out," he demanded, as she vanished inside with a huff.

"And why should I?" she asked, stopping once more and turning around to face him.

"Because I came here to tell you the truth," he growled, trying not to raise his voice. "I didn't cheat on you."

Her head came up once again, her dark eyes flicking back and forth as she scanned his face. "You… you didn't?"

"Of course I didn't," he exclaimed. "What kind of person do you take me for?"

"Are you serious?" Hermione hissed in return, her calm façade drifting away. "You and Blaise were England's top hardcore bachelors before we started going out. You even said it yourself you didn't like being attached and now all of a sudden, you're barely speaking to me and instead spending time with a woman named 'Dita Kelly'?"

Draco flinched slightly at her words, finally realising that his recent actions easily pegged him as a cheater from an outsider's point of view and felt guilty that he hadn't just talked to her sooner.

"She was a Seer," he said, his voice neutral. "Blaise told me she could help me with our problems so he arranged for me to meet her, but it turned out she's just as bad as Trelawney. I didn't realise that you'd followed me there, if I'd known, I would have explained sooner. "

However, even after hearing him out, Hermione still seemed far from happy.

"You went to a Seer?" she yelled, letting out a strangled laugh. "We're having problems and you decided to solve things by going to a Seer?"

Draco tried his best not to lash out at her. "Well it's not like I had much choice," he told her, frowning hard. "I tried talking to you about it on our date —"

"Talking?" Hermione abruptly cut in. "When on earth did you ever talk to me about it? All you did was interrogate me about my colleagues and friends! You sounded so insecure I thought you might as well ask me if I was cheating on you!"

"Well, are you?" Draco snapped in return and immediately regretted his words.

Hermione's expression immediately turned to stone although not before he noticed the hurt look in her eyes.

"I shouldn't have asked that," he resumed quietly, running his hand nervously through his hair. "It's just that I don't understand what happened to us. Everything was perfectly fine between two weeks ago, but then you barely came home anymore, you worked all the time and whenever we did spend time together, you'd shy away from me."

As he spoke, he noticed the abrupt change of expression on her face. She seemed almost nervous and dropped her gaze before settling herself down on the couch beside them, hugging one of the cushions to her chest.

"Well I'm sorry if I was too tired to have sex with you recently," she muttered angrily. "Working all day tends to tire me out."

"That's not the only reason and you know it," Draco told her sternly, sitting down beside her. His heart clenched as he silently wondered whether she had lied to him about not cheating.

She turned her head away from him, confirming his suspicions. "It's nothing. I'm just tired."

"Hermione," he said, keeping his tone carefully neutral as he grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Tell me."

He felt her flinch under his touch, but he refused to let go. "Tell. Me."

The proximity was deafening and Draco suddenly knew deep down that whatever she told him right then would surely change their relationship forever.

However, he never expected to hear what she finally admitted.

"I – I'm pregnant."

**********************..~**~..**

The moment Draco had sat down next to her, Hermione had known she wouldn't be able to keep her secret anymore. Draco had always had that power over her. She'd never been able to lie to him, which had usually been a good thing to her. Their relationship had already known a rocky start. If they had lied to each other as well, it simply would have been doomed.

Now, however, she wished she'd been stronger.

"You're… what?"

Draco abruptly released her as if she was on fire causing something in Hermione's heart to ache. She closed her eyes and tried not to let it show. She knew he never wanted to be a father. That's why she had tried to keep her condition hidden from him.

Draco had never wanted kids.

"I'm sorry," she told him, feeling tears start to prick her eyes as she buried her head in the cushion she was holding. "I'm so sorry - I don't know how it happened. We've always been so careful. I think it was that time after Ron's wedding reception… we were so drunk, we probably forgot…"

But she stopped as more tears welled up in her eyes and her words were suddenly replaced with sobs.

There was a long silence as she felt him shift from the couch. No doubt he was standing up to leave. The thought of him suddenly leaving her was unbearable and she cried even harder.

A few moments passed before she flinched in surprise when she felt his hand on her cheek. She lifted her head up to find him bent down on one knee before her.

"Don't cry," he said, his tone softer than before as he took her face in both his hands and lightly ran his thumbs across her cheeks, drying her tears.

"You're… you're not mad?" she asked him, her voice barely above a whisper.

He grinned at her, one of his rare genuine smiles, before he leaned forward and kissed her. Pulling her down on the floor against him, he deepened the kiss as his arms slid around her waist. She quickly discarded the cushion and let herself be pulled in against him.

A wave of relief overcame her as his arms wrapped around her although she couldn't stop the fresh batch of tears falling from her eyes. No words were needed between them to communicate just how happy Draco was feeling at that moment.

The passionate kiss was meaning enough and when he broke away, Hermione ached for more.

"I'm sorry for being such an idiot," he muttered, his fingertips softly stroking her back and she smiled in return.

He glanced down between their bodies as his hands moved round her curves, slowly coming to rest on her stomach.

"I thought you wouldn't want it," Hermione spoke up, covering his hands with her own.

"People change," he told her simply and her heart jolted as she noticed the sudden gleam of happiness in his silver orbs. The hint of darkness that usually haunted his eyes ever since the war seemed to have vanished completely.

He kissed her softly once more, before helping her up to her feet and spotting the chimney on the other side of the lounge with a nearby supply of Floo powder.

"Let's go home."

Suddenly aware of her surroundings again, Hermione glanced up at him with a curious expression.

"How exactly did you know where to find me?" she asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Ginny told me."

Hermione, however, knew just how stubborn her best friend could be whenever Draco asked her anything.

"She simply told you?"

Draco seemed to avoid her gaze. "I might have impressed on her the gravity on the situation —"

Hermione felt her jaw drop open in shock. "What? You had better not have harmed my best friend, Draco, or I swear to God, I will seriously hex you into —"

"Calm down, woman!" he retorted, an annoyed look on his face. "Of course I didn't harm her. I was angry, yes, but I'm not stupid. Besides Blaise would have killed me if I had even touched her —"

"Wait a minute!" Hermione cut in again, her eyes open wide. "Blaise likes Ginny?"

"Yeah, didn't I tell you? I thought it was obvious. He's barely seen any other girls since she broke up with Potter."

"Well, good for him," Hermione replied, amused. "She's actually been crushing on him for ages as well. But then, if she told you where to find me, then why isn't she with you?"

Draco merely stared at her and flashed a wolfish grin.

"You left her alone with Blaise in the middle of the night?" she exclaimed, her voice sounding a little panicked as she turned back to the couch suddenly looking for her bag. "I have to go get her before things get out of hand."

"Oh no, you don't," Draco finally spoke up, circling her waist with his arms and keeping her firmly pressed against him.

"But —"

"It's way too late to stop them from making a mistake anyway and well past time, we made mistakes of our own," he whispered against her ear causing her to freeze and finally relax in his arms.

"So you ready to go?" he asked her, his head buried in the crook of her neck and his lips slowly caressing her skin, causing her knees to grow weak.

She nodded once, not trusting herself to speak at that moment and shrieked in delight as Draco suddenly picked her up in his arms and stepped towards the fireplace.

"I love you."

Hermione smiled, resting her head on his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed in his scent.

"I love you too, Draco."


	5. Stand, Climb and Fall

**My entry for the 2011 dramione couples remix in case you missed it on my LJ. Completely AU, waaay out there but it's fun to see Harry as the bad guy for a change. I know you're all wondering about Here Without You and chapter 17 is in the works but I've been busy writing for the Nartuto fandom.  
**

**Hope you'll like this! :)  
**

**Title:** Stand, Climb and Fall

**Author:** hathor X

**Original Couple/Prompt:** Napoleon and Josephine

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing to do with Harry Potter. It's all just fun.

**Rating:** PG-13

**Summary:** Completely AU. After the defeat of Voldemort, Draco naturally comes to lead the wizarding world and turns it into an Empire.

**Notes:** Some elements of Napoloen and Josephine's story are kept – the Empire, the various war campaigns and of course the famous coronation scene - but not everything. Thanks so much to cleodoxa for beta reading and giving me so much advice! I hope you enjoy the improved version :-)

* * *

**Stand, Climb and Fall**

_You to whom nature has given spirit, sweetness, and beauty, you who alone can move and rule my heart, you who know all too well the absolute empire you exercise over it!_

Napoleon to Joséphine.

******..~**~..**

_12 November, 2007_

Hermione pulled her hood tighter around her face as she walked down the wizarding streets of London. Nobody gave her a second thought as she made her way through the busy streets, but she couldn't risk being recognised by anyone.

Not here, not now.

She had managed to get away from the mansion without anyone noticing, but once her guards would realise that she was missing, Aurors would flood the streets looking for her.

She side-stepped a group of children, who were standing by a Quidditch shop and gazing inside with wide eyes. The bookstore beside it had been barred up and a big red sign announced that the premises were for sale. All around her, Hermione noticed that most of the shops were in the same state. They had all opened and flourished during the Empire, but now the new Minister had seen fit to close them down.

Closed shops weren't the only sign of change. Every building had its walls covered by huge magical posters.

"The Empire is dead. Long live the Minister," they claimed, but Hermione barely looked at them, as she turned into a larger, paved street and made her up towards the palace gates.

The tall golden gates were wide open and Hermione found herself drowned in the flood of people who came and went from the building, now referred to as the new Ministry of Magic. Having spent five years living inside the palace, Hermione knew exactly where to go and how to get there.

As she entered the entrance hall and came upon the Monument to the Dead, she paused briefly, contemplating the numerous names of witches and wizards carved in the stone.

******..~**~..**

* * *

_03 May, 2000_

The war had been going on for four years. Four long years of fighting, planning and surviving. Many friends had died during those years, but Hermione had kept going, telling herself that they would mourn once Voldemort was dead and yet they never seemed any closer to killing him. Harry had taken command of the Order after Dumbledore's death and the Order ranks had kept growing in numbers ever since the Ministry of Magic had burnt down and the wizarding world had turned to chaos. The wizarding world was caught in a war that wizards or witches all over Britain couldn't ignore. They all had to choose a side.

Draco Malfoy had chosen his when he had abandoned his parents after Dumbledore's death and made a bargain with Harry. He had been allowed to join the Order in exchange for all the information he had concerning Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Draco had told them everything he knew and the Order had been able to strike quickly, but it hadn't been enough.

It was never enough.

At first Ron was against Draco joining the Order. He didn't trust him, and neither did anyone else but Harry wasn't a complete idiot. Draco started out as a simple messenger, learning the Patronus charm and then proceeding to send messages all day to warn members of meetings or attacks. He remained at all times within the Headquarters and was never allowed into meetings. However, the war raged outside and as more and more people died everyday, Draco's role within the Order increased until one day he was assigned to the same squad as Hermione. By then, they had been at war for almost three years, hundreds of witches and wizards had died and the wizarding world was on the brink of destruction. The war had spread worldwide as Voldemort's power grew as he recruited followers from every wizarding country. Harry did as best he could to matech him, but few of the delegates he sent out ever came back. Voldemort was always a step ahead it seemed.

After three years of war, everyone within the Order came to rely one upon another and it suddenly seemed that no one cared about Draco's past anymore as long as he fought against Death Eaters. His wand skills and Quidditch reflexes saved him and his teammates more than a few times and within a year he had joined Harry, Ron, Hermione, Moody and Kingsley in the war room every week to discuss the squad's various missions.

Hermione didn't mind seeing her old enemy among her oldest friends, strategising future battle plans. On the contrary, she was more than once surprised by the various schemes and daring plans his Slytherin mind came up with and often backed them up when Harry and Ron would turn them down. As fas as she was concerned, Draco, along with every other Order member that had survived the past three years, had earned his place. She had even become close friends with him, fighting side by side during missions, learning to trust one other and coordinate their skills during battle.

More than once Draco had saved Hermione's life and she had saved his a few times too. Hermione had even taken considerable risks to save her teammate's life when she had been specifically ordered to leave him behind.

It was during a particular suicidal mission in Brasil that Hermione realised her feelings for Draco.

That night, her team were to intercept a messenger in wizarding Teresina that had come directly from Voldemort's hideout. Their orders were to capture the messenger before he could reach Death Eater headquarters. Waiting in an old Muggle carpark, the only possible Apparition spot in Teresina, the team spent the night waiting for the messenger.

However, he had not come alone. Twenty Death Eaters including Bellatrix Lestrange had suddenly appeared and when Hermione launched the attack, she knew there was a strong chance that none of her team would make it. It was the price to pay to end the war. Draco had already cast Anti-Apparition wards and since none of the Death Eaters could escape, they chose to fight. Once the first two Death Eaters were disarmed, Dean and Luna had used an emergency Portkey to send them back to Headquarters for interrogation. Only seconds later, they came face to face with Bellatrix and died by her wand. Hannah Abbott brought down five Death Eaters before she was hit in the back by the Killing curse. Within minutes it was up to Draco, Hermione and Ginny to confront the eight remaining Death Eaters.

Hermione kept her head down, crouching amongst the cars in search of Draco and Ginny as Bellatrix took pleasure in blowing up abandoned Muggle cars left and right.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," she screamed in delight as her minions followed her.

Hermione slid behind a car, finding Draco and Ginny, who remained still, wands in hands.

"Was it you I saw, dear nephew? Come out and give your auntie a kiss!" Bellatrix continued to howl, slowly making her way towards them.

"Bitch," Draco muttered under his breath.

"I have a plan, but it's not a good one," Hermione whispered, keeping a look out for Bellatrix. "You see those cars ahead. I made a hole in the oil tanks and created a giant puddle in the middle. See? If we can lure them over there, we can set the bastards on fire. They'll never know what hit them. They'll think it's water in the dark."

"However, whoever lures them won't get out of the puddle in time," Draco added, understanding the danger of Hermione's plan.

She nodded once, her eyes already seeking a way to lure the Death Eaters into a trap.

However, Bellatrix was already too close and the trap too far ahead.

"It only takes one person to lure them," Hermione continued quietly. "The other two will have to make sure they're all dead before Apparating back."

"I'll do it," Ginny whispered, turning to face Hermione.

"No," Hermione said firmly. "It's suicide but the only plan I could come up with that allows at least the two of you to survive. I'll do it."

"I'll go," Ginny repeated fiercely, her face determined. "You know the rules, you two are more important to the Order than me."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Draco beat her to it. "Screw the rules," he hissed. "If we head back to England without you, it will kill him."

"We've said our goodbyes," Ginny answered softly. "We always do before missions. He'll understand, now go!"

"No!" Hermione cried out in panic, grabbing hold of Ginny's arm. "I'm not letting you go. I'm not losing you as well!"

Ginny turned to face her again and Hermione saw her brown eyes shimmering with tears and realised that she was scared. She pulled Hermione into a fierce hug and whispered in her ear. "I can do this. You know I can do this. We've been at war for four years, Hermione, and if my death means we can finally win, then so be it. I don't want my family to have died in vain. And if we don't kill those bastards now, it will all have been for nothing."

Hermione felt her hands shake uncontrollably as she realised what was about to happen.

"You'll tell Harry, won't you?" Ginny finally asked and before Hermione had time to answer, she pulled away and launched herself towards Bellatrix.

"GIN —" Hermione started to scream, but Draco clapped a hand around her mouth and pulled her back, out of harm's way.

"Merlin's sake, Granger," he whispered, dragging her behind another car. "Don't let her sacrifice be for nothing!"

Hermione watched with wide eyes as Ginny darted from car to car, sending curses their way and slowly luring Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters towards the trap.

"I'm right here, you ugly whore!" Ginny yelled, her Killing curse hitting a Death Eater squarely in the chest.

"Get her!" Bellatrix snarled, firing spell after spell. "Get that blood-traitor bitch!"

Ginny continued shouting insults at her, winding up Bellatrix, who strode right into the puddle.

"You won't be so disrespectful when my Lord has his way with you, Weasley!" Bellatrix laughed, sending another Cruciatus curse her way.

Ginny dodged out of the way and fell on her hands and knees into the puddle. She quickly found herself surrounded by the remaining Death Eaters, Bellatrix towering above her.

Hermione held her breath.

Perhaps there was a chance the redhead could run away in time, but it seemed hopeless. Clasping her wand, Ginny looked up at her enemies, and Hermione could see, even from a distance, her dark eyes gleaming with victory.

"Go to hell," she cried out, casting her last spell. "_Incendio!_"

Fire roared from her wand encircling them all and turning into a giant blaze as it touched the oil. Death Eaters screamed in pain, the great fire consuming them on the spot and spreading rapidly as it reached the various Muggle car engines. Draco and Hermione shot out from their hiding place making sure none of the Death Eaters escaped, but they could hardly approach the raging fire themselves.

The screams eventually died out and Hermione continued to look on, her hand covering her face from the smell of burning flesh as she watched the fire consume her enemies and consume her friend – the sister she never had.

When they returned to Headquarters, they were immediately surrounded by other members, anxious to hear what had happened. Hermione barely registered their presence and instead caught sight of Padma, from afar, her eyes desperately searching for Dean. Harry and Ron burst in through the door, immediately asking what had happened.

Hermione didn't realise she had sank to her knees until she saw Harry crouching down in front of her. She gazed at him through her frozen tears only to see him biting back his own and clenching his jaw. As she was unable to speak of what she had just witnessed, Draco filled them in.

That night, no one slept. Hermione lay down on her bed, her mind rethinking about everything that had happened. Her tears had run dry, but the hole in her chest had grown. Her bedroom door opened quietly and Draco slipped inside. He lay down on her bed beside her and she eventually turned around, grateful for his presence. He was usually a solitaire, always keeping to himself unless it was time for missions, but it seemed that whenever Hermione was in need of comfort he would always find her. Almost as if he could read her mind.

It seemed strange really to find comfort in the man she had once called her enemy. However, the war had changed all that and now Hermione found herself looking to Draco for help to lead her team and comfort after a difficult mission more often than not. She trusted him completely, she admired the confidence and quick thinking he displayed during missions and found herself more daring and braver when he was by her side.

She knew that without Draco, she would already be dead.

He made her a better fighter and he helped her endure the pain and suffering of the war. And among all the horror and deaths that she had witnessed, he gave her the courage to believe in love.

She dared to rest her head on his shoulder and slowly, his arm slid around her, pulling her closer. He held her in his arms in silence. Neither of them needed to speak, both of them understood what the other one felt. What they'd been feeling for a long time.

And as much as Hermione mourned for her dead teammates, she was thankful that Draco had survived.

"You won't leave me as well, will you?" she whispered against his chest.

He gave no response but cupped her cheek with his hand and bent down to press his lips on hers.

******..~**~..**

* * *

_12 November, 2007_

Hermione softly made her way up the grand staircase, lost in the crowd, sticking to the walls. Once upstairs, she disappeared around a corner, remembering the secret pssageway, which would take her directly to the top floor.

She was sure to find him there.

After several long minutes, climbing up the hidden spiral staircase, she waited outside the revolving bookcase, listening out for voices. She heard nothing.

Ever so quietly, she pushed the bookcase forward until it swung open with a creak. Peering out, Hermione slipped out into the narrow corridor leading to the grand master room and several other annexed rooms. The bookcase closed shut behind her, causing her heart to jolt.

She couldn't stop now, however. She had come too far.

Tip toeing down the corridor, she suddenly heard voices behind her. Looking for somewhere to hide, she pulled open the first door she found and came face to face with a tall, armour clad Auror with sandy hair.

Seeing his familiar face, her eyes opened wide, but she kept her mouth shut.

His wand was out in a flash.

"State your purpose," he ordered in a gruff voice, stepping closer to her as Hermione backed away. "This floor is a restricted area. No civilian is allowed up here."

Within seconds more Aurors filed out from behind him and grasped her arms tightly, pulling her hood down.

Their leader paled.

"Leave us," he told the others, keeping his wand pointed at her heart. "Go back to your duties, I will deal with this."

Hermione remained motionless, watching the others walking away. As soon as they were gone, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Seamus," she greeted him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her, she noticed the panic in his voice.

Taking in the new Auror robes he wore, she scowled. "I see it hasn't taken you long to find a new place in this world. Ever the loyal _Gryffindor_! Tell me, exactly how much time did it take you to forget everything the Empire did for you?"

Seamus' eyes flashed in anger. "You don't know what you're talking about. You weren't there when the Empire fell. I would have died with it but there was hardly a battle after the Emperor was captured. The new Minister left me no choice."

Hermione saw the truth in his eyes and looked away. It still pained her how she had been locked away in the Mansion during the events. How the Empire had fallen all around her without her even knowing.

"He's not the same, you know," Seamus continued, more softly, looking over his shoulder.

"Since he woke up, he's been different. I heard a Healer say it might be the after-effect of defeating Voldemort. Others say it's because he lost his best friends."

"I heard the rumours too," Hermione said quietly. "I hear a lot of things even if he locked me up in a mansion. I heard the Ministry is having trouble controlling the people. I heard despite the propagation, the people still call out for the Emperor. Is it true?"

"It is," Seamus agreed in a whisper, "and so they should. The Ministry will eventually undo everything he ever did for them."

Hermione nodded and watched as Seamus took a step back, a pained look on his face.

"I'm afraid I can't help you," he told her and sent one of his Aurors to the Minister's office.

Within seconds, the double doors opened, revealing the new Minister of Magic, a triumphant look upon his face.

Harry Potter.

******..~**~..**

* * *

_04 May, 2000_

"This is it, everyone," Moody announced, looking gravely around him at each and every Order member present at the meeting. "Thanks to Weasley's sacrifice, we know exactly where that son of a bitch is hiding and word won't get back to him in time before we strike!"

Silence fell upon the meeting. No one had known what Moody was about to announce save for Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco. The two Death Eaters captured the day before had revealed Voldemort's current hiding place with the use of Veritaserum and Moody along with Harry, Ron and Draco had spent all night preparing for what everyone hoped to be the final battle.

As Moody continued to explain their strategy, Hermione barely listened, her hands itching at a chance to avenge her fallen teammates. A pale slender hand caught her own and squeezed it gently.

"Don't worry," Draco whispered in her ear. "We'll make them pay. They'll never know what's coming."

The threat in his voice sent a chill down her spine. She trusted him and the others to have come up with the best plan they could with the little time they had, but wished Draco had woken her up during the night to take part.

"You have one hour to prepare," Moody finished, dismissing them all.

Hermione tried to calm her nerves. She watched as Ron approached Harry, who looked ghastly pale, and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Draco followed her out of the war room and to her bedroom. Silently, they helped each other once more with their battle gear, weaving spells again into their cloaks and filling up various small bottles with pain relievers and healing potions.

Draco handed Hermione her wand and she slipped it inside her cloak. They had done this a hundred times before with their team, but now that it was just the two of them, the silence was deafening.

Hermione remained still, looking up to find Draco's steel gaze watching her.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she asked him, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Sorry, Granger," he answered amused, cocking his head to one side. "I thought you'd appreciate a proper night's sleep before the big battle. You've hardly slept these past two nights and clearly you're exhausted."

She gave him a stern look, irritated by his teasing tone. "You know I don't like being left out when planning missions."

He smirked in return. "Well next time a dark lord comes along, I'll be sure to let you plan his downfall."

She smiled at his words despite herself and he stepped closer to her, his hands reaching past her neck to catch the hood of her cloak and put it on her head.

His hands then slid down to her face and he stared deep into her eyes.

"You'd best not die on me, Granger," he told her, a hint of a smile on his lips. "I could never survive this madhouse without you by my side."

"Then we'd better make our way downstairs and talk to Harry," Hermione informed him, pulling away. "I don't think I've ever seen him looking so scared and he's the one with the major role to play."

"So I've noticed," Draco drawled, turning towards the door. "Don't worry about Potter, I'll go talk to him although Weasley's probably got it covered."

He paused as his hand grasped the handle. "See you on the other side?"

She nodded once more but suddenly felt her gut clench as her loved one meant to leave.

"Draco," she called out and rushed to his arms, pulling him towards her as their lips met.

He returned her kiss, desperate and yearning. When they pulled apart, he clutched her closer to him, burying his head in her curly, brown hair.

They remained silent for a while, taking in their moment together – feeling each other's breaths and heart beats.

"If you die, I'll never forgive you," Hermione whispered and eventually Draco pulled away, kissing her once more on the lips before disappearing behind the door.

******..~**~..**

The battle was the worst one yet. Although taken by surprise, Voldemort was far from being alone in his hideout and the Order was outnumbered by far. Hermione did her best along with Draco and Ron to protect Harry as they searched for Voldemort among the chaos.

As they grew closer, Hermione and Ron were abruptly ambushed by a group of Death Eaters and forced to retaliate and leave Harry with Draco. They fought side by side until they were backed inside a small room and before Hermione knew it, the ceiling came crashing down on them.

When Hermione woke up again, the war was over.

Draco was peering over her, his face filled with worry.

"Don't move," he told her, his hand on her cheek, "we're taking care of you. Your legs are injured."

She remained delirious and in pain until Draco put a potion to her lips and asked her to drink.

As the pain subsided, her senses came back to her.

"Ron!" she cried out, "Where's Ron?"

"He's fine," Draco soothed her, "Harry defeated Voldemort, but it took so much out of him that he dropped unconscious afterwards. The Healers are looking after him."

He helped Hermione sit up so she could see for herself. The final battle had been terrible. The pitiful house Voldemort had hid in had been completely destroyed. Rubble and corpses lay all around them. Harry lay a few feet away, people hurrying about above him whilst Ron watched from afar.

"So Harry won?" Hermione asked again, unsure whether the scene before her could be considered a victory.

Draco didn't answer and when the Healers had finished with her legs, he helped her stand, her arm around his shoulders. They slowly made their way towards Harry until Ron caught sight of them and rushed towards her, hugging her fiercely.

"How's is he?" Hermione asked him, watching as the Healers cast a spell which enveloped Harry's body in a blue glow.

"He's alive," Ron announced, his voice tight, "but he won't wake up and they don't know when he will, if ever."

"Moody and Kingsley are gone," Draco filled her in as they continued to watch Harry's unconscious form. "So is Snape and pretty much most of the Order. We managed to capture or kill more than half of the Death Eaters but many still escaped."

"Seamus is alive as well," Ron informed them, looking over his shoulder. "That makes eight."

"Only eight members survived?" Hermione asked, not believing her ears.

She turned to face the scene of desolation around her and her eyes took note of the hundreds of corpses from both sides, the dozen of Death Eaters either magically binded or petrified scattered about and the lonesome remaining Order members walking from corpse to corpse, looking for any other survivors.

There was no authority left in the wizarding world, no Dumbledore, no Wizengamot or Ministry left to deal with the situation and take control. It was just them, the few Healers that had escaped the great fire at St Mungo's and taken refuge at Hogwarts and of course the rest of the wizarding population scattered all over Britain, hiding in fear among Muggles.

"So what do we do now?" Hermione dared to ask, a million thoughts running through her head. "There's so much to do! We need to make a total count of people who survived, we need to come up with a plan to defeat the remaining Death Eaters, we need to find new Headquarters since Harry was the secret keeper for Grimmauld Place, we need to —"

"Slow down, Hermione," Ron exclaimed, glancing at her sideways. "We need to wait for Harry to wake up first."

"Yes, but what if he wakes up tomorrow, or in two days, a week?" she answered anxiously. "We don't have time to wait."

"No, we can't wait," Draco agreed, his sad grey eyes watching the chaos around them, "we need to regroup. Ron, gather everyone around so we can effectively look for any survivors. Hermione, check the wounded to see who else can help and then go set up new Headquarters for us. I'll deal with the prisoners."

He left leaving no room for questions and Hermione found herself staring after him in surprise.

Beside her, Ron sighed deeply. "Guess we found our new leader then."

******..~**~..**

* * *

_12 November, 2007_

Hermione was led into the lavish master bedroom that had been turned into the new Minister's office. Having handed over her wand, she watched as Harry twirled it in his hands.

"Leave us," Harry ordered the Aurors, who looked at one another with unease but dared not disobey.

They released Hermione from their hold and left the office, closing the double doors behind them.

"I thought I had made it perfectly clear that you were to stay in the mansion," he told her, his voice cold and unfriendly.

Hermione paused, unsure how to respond to the new Harry. Whether it was Voldemort's spell or the loss of so many friends that had changed him, he was no longer the boy she had grown up with at Hogwarts. He was different – his stance more rigid and his voice harsh – emotionless.

"You didn't respond to my owls," Hermione finally spoke up, keeping her ground. "I've been stuck in that prison for nearly three months without any news of his whereabouts when you told me that he would be safe. You promised me —"

"I promised you that he wouldn't be killed," Harry cut in briskly. "I never said he would be kept safe."

Hermione felt her gut clench at his words. "Where is he?"

"In exile," Harry answered, a dark gleam to his eyes, "although as a traitor, he deserves much worse."

"He isn't a traitor, Harry," Hermione answered with a sigh, already knowing he wouldn't listen to her. "Someone had to do something after Voldemort was killed. We couldn't sit by idly waiting for you to wake up and tell us what to do next. He brought us hope and built an Empire. He continued to rid the world of Death Eaters whilst rebuilding the wizarding world.

He was exactly what we needed, he —"

"_He replaced me!_" Harry shouted at her, his fists clenched tight. "And he turned the wizarding world into something that it's not. He violated all sense of wizard tradition and created an Empire… a bloody Empire - as if we were _Muggles_."

Hermione felt her blood run cold. The way Harry spoke of Muggles terrified her more than anything.

"Harry, what happened to you?" she asked him, her voice almost a whisper. "We shouldn't be fighting like this. We used to be friends, I am still your friend and I want to help you. Let me help you."

She felt him tense at her words. "You can't help me anymore, Hermione. You've already chosen your side."

"My side? What are you talking about? What do you think Ron and Ginny would say if —"

"Shut up!" he suddenly lashed out, taking a menacing step towards her, his eyes full of anger. "Don't you dare speak their names."

Hermione stepped back in alarm, realising she had unintentionally revealed the root of the problem. "God, you blame him for their deaths, don't you?" she spoke softly, watching his reaction closely. "You think we're to blame for their deaths simply because we survived, is that it? Well, I don't know what people have been telling you but Ron died fighting Death Eaters on a mission. No one forced him too. He had his own team under the Empire and he chose to continue the hunt for Death Eaters. He fought bravely, but he died."

She paused, taking a deep breath, hoping her words could still reach Harry somehow. His face remained expressionless.

"As soon as I heard that you had woken up, I was so glad I immediately Apparated to your house," she continued in soft voice. "I wanted to be there for you, Harry, I wanted to tell you everything that had happened during your coma but when I arrived, you had vanished. And before I knew it, you appeared again at the Palace with Aurors, saying I was in danger and sent me to some mansion. I trusted you – you said I could trust you and I did, yet you declared the Empire to be illegal and vowed to bring it down. Why?"

Harry merely shrugged his shoulders. "You know my reasons. The wizarding world was never meant to be ruled without a Ministry of Magic. Anyone who thinks otherwise will be brought down."

Hermione felt a pang in her heart as she realised the man before her was nothing like her best friend. What the Healers had warned her about last year was true then; killing Voldemort had caused Harry's soul to be torn. Part of his soul was missing and Hermione was witnessing the change first hand. Steeling herself, she remembered why she had come to see Harry in the first place.

"Where is he?" she asked again, determined to get an answer.

"No one is allowed to see the Emperor," Harry told her through grit teeth.

"He's my husband!" Hermione pleaded with him. "Harry, please. Let me see him."

He regarded her thoughtfully; the look in his eyes contained something close to pity.

"He's on an island off the Scottish coast," he finally admitted, turning his back on her as he stepped up to his office desk. "You may see him tomorrow. Seamus will take you and remain with you at all times, is that understood?"

"Yes," she agreed and watched as Harry seemed to battle with himself. Clearly there was something else he wanted to say, but he remained silent.

Instead he summoned the Aurors again and before Hermione knew it, she was Portkeyed back to the mansion.

******..~**~..**

* * *

_26 August, 2000_

"Your name, please," Hermione asked, her hand poised over another piece of parchment.

"Macmillan," a woman's voice answered and Hermione immediately looked up to see a middle-aged woman clad in bright yellow robes accompanied by a young girl, barely old enough to attend Hogwarts.

"Mrs Macmillan," Hermione greeted her with a heavy heart. "You – you are Ernie's mother?"

"Yes, I am," the woman answered in a soft voice. "I am glad to see you here in person. My husband and I were hoping you might be able to shed more light on my son's death. He was killed during the final battle?"

Hermione nodded her head, unsure what else she could tell the woman to relieve her of her pain. "Yes, he fought for the Order throughout the war. He was always successful in his missions but he was killed during the final battle. I don't know how it happened exactly, it was hard to keep track while we were fighting. I trust you know that many people died during the attack on Voldemort."

The dark wizard's name caused the woman to shudder but Hermione ignored it. People were still growing accustomed to finally saying his name out loud.

"Yes, I heard Mr Malfoy's speech on the wireless, of course," the woman told her, putting an arm around her daughter who clung tightly to her mother's robes. "It is terrible how so many young wizards and witches died for our freedom. I am very glad to hear that our Ernie fought alongside you. It is good to hear that he died a hero as well."

"He was very brave, Mrs Macmillan," Hermione supplied, watching with a pained heart as the witch drew out a handkerchief and dabbed her teary eyes.

"Thank you, Miss Granger," she told her, sitting down in the chair in front of Hermione's desk. "It is such an honour to finally meet you. I am so glad to see that a sensible person as yourself is taking care of this census. How is it going so far?"

Hermione gave her a small smile. "Slowly," she answered honestly. "Many people are still scared even though the war is over and prefer to remain hidden. It was also hard to reach out to the wizarding community without any means of communication except for the wireless network but thanks to Steve Summers, the Daily Prophet will soon be up and running again."

"A good boy, Steve," Mrs Macmillan interjected. "Hufflepuff as well. And how is our leader faring on the continent? I heard his campaign in France against the remaining Death Eaters is quite successful."

Hermione smiled to herself. She wasn't the first person to ask about Draco. "Yes, the final stronghold of Death Eaters was defeated last week from what I heard and Mr Malfoy is currently planning his next move in Italy. It seems he is determined to free Europe of all renegade Death Eaters by Christmas," she answered dryly, clearly not approving of Draco's plan.

The woman nodded, listening intently to Hermione's words. "My, my, he seems to be quite the ambitious leader and yet you do not seem to agree with his way of running things."

Hermione paused, silently scolded herself for letting her emotions become so apparent. "I'd only wish he would tend to our own country first before running all over Europe. I'm sure the continent can manage without our help."

"Perhaps," the woman added, surprising Hermione. "But then you risk the chance of prolonging the war abroad and watching from afar as people continue to suffer."

"What do you mean?"

The woman leaned forward slightly. "You have to understand, dear, that the war has been particularly hard for the other countries. They had only briefly heard of Voldemort's rise again before the Ministry cut off all communications with foreign countries and when Voldemort sent his Death Eaters abroad, the wizarding communities had no warning and no defense. They had no hero like Harry Potter or the Order of the Phoenix to help them and so now that Mr Malfoy is doing so, they welcome him with open arms. He is their saviour and he is conquering the wizarding world back from the grasps of the dark wizards that still terrorise or or even control wizarding communities as in Russia."

Hermione remained silent for a while, thinking upon Mrs. Macmillan's words. She had never really been interested in the war abroad. She had always hoped that once Voldemort was defeated, the rest of his Death Eaters would surrender and peace would return. She had never imagined that they would continue to terrorise the wizarding world, resisting even after their master's downfall.

"I suppose I understand," she finally conceded. "I had just never thought things would be so hard. We have a war on our hands and yet there is still so much to do here. I suppose you've been told of this situation abroad by some relatives or friends perhaps?"

Mrs Macmillan nodded. "My sister, Margaret, fled to France with her husband and their children at the start of the war hoping to be spared. I have only just been able to make contact with her again."

Her daughter, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, starting tugging at her mother's sleeve.

"I'm sorry Miss Granger, I really must get on," the woman told her politely. "I promised my daughter to tak her shopping afterwards."

"Of course, no problem," Hermione exclaimed at once, picking up her quill again. "Let's get started then."

An hour later, Hermione was finished for the day and carefully stacked away her parchments before Apparating back to her home in Hogsmeade, the Order's temporary Headquarters.

As she appeared in her living-room, she was surprised to find Draco in battle robes, lying on his back on the sofa.

"Draco!" she exclaimed, rushing to see if he was injured. "Are you alright? What are you doing here?"

He opened his eyes and smirked at her reaction. "I'm perfectly fine," he told her, lifting himself up. "I thought I'd give everyone a couple of days off to rest before heading to Italy."

He looked worn-down and his robes were torn in places, but his eyes were bright and warm. "I wanted to surprise you."

Hermione smiled at him, leaning over to kiss him softly before sitting down beside him on the couch. She lay her head on his shoulder. "I saw Ernie's mother today."

Draco wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

"She was quite keen on meeting you."

He laughed. "Like every other bloody witch in this country. I swear if I had known, I would have killed Voldeort myself a hell of a lot sooner!"

Hermione elbowed him in the ribs, but he merely smiled.

"What else did she say?"

"Not much. She agrees with your foreign campaigns. She has a sister who went to hide in France and told her how bad it had been after the Death Eater showed up. She called you a saviour."

"Really?" Draco smirked, lifting his feet up onto the low coffee table.

"Of course that's not the only name people have called you and we both know it," Hermione said slowly, watching him closely to gauge his reaction.

His eyes gave her nothing.

Hermione pulled away from him in annoyance. "Damn it, Draco, doesn't it bother you? This wasn't what we had in mind! You have to put a stop to it before it gets out of control. People can't think of you as an Emperor!"

He merely shrugged. "I don't see what the problem is. I'm their leader. The word 'Minister' brings too many bad memories after what Scrimgeour did during the war and I've got to have a title. The one they give me fits perfectly."

Hermione's eyes narrowed at him. "You can't be serious! The wizarding world has never had an Emperor before."

Draco didn't back down. "I'm deadly serious," he told her, matching her gaze. "If this is what people want then I'm happy to oblige. Besides, Ron agrees with me."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it!" Hermione protested.

"I know, but it's too late," he told her, sounding tired all of a sudden. "Things are already in motion."

"How so?"

"The French are even worse off than us. The Death Eaters were running everything so now the country has come to a complete stop and the band of fighters who helped us bring down the last stronghold have asked for our help."

Hermione looked at him incredulously. "Our help?"

"They need it, Hermione, trust me," he told her bluntly, his hand rubbing his eyes. "You didn't see how worse off they are from us. They need help to run the country until they get back on their feet and I agreed. I'm to be their leader for the time being."

"Fine," Hermione gave in, standing up in frustration. "But as soon as the census is over, I want you to put this to a vote."

"Agreed."

"Good then," she told him before sighing loudly. "For God's sake, Draco, I do hope you realise the change you're about to bring to the wizarding world. People may love you and preach you as their hero for now, but that can all change from one day to the next. You'd best be prepared."

He lay back on the couch, yawning. "Don't worry about me, love. I'm ready to face anything."

Hermione noticed the sudden smirk on his face and punched him in the arm. "Stop smirking, you dolt," she teased him. "There's a lot of work to be done if we're about to create an Empire."

"Yes, yes, work and no play," Draco drawled, his eyes sparkling with malice as he pulled her towards him. "So if I'm Emperor, does that mean you'll be my Empress?"

And before Hermione could formulate a proper answer, he leaned forward and kissed her softly.

******..~**~..**

* * *

_13 November, 2007_

Early in the morning, Seamus Finnegan had arrived at the mansion to take Hermione to see Draco. She had waited patiently for him in the parlour, a thick woolen cloak in her hands. She knew perfectly well through her six years at Hogwarts how bitterly cold Scotland could be in late autumn. She wasn't surprised to find Seamus with a Portkey in his hands, a bedside lamp in this case, which he held out to her. The Aurors had confiscated her wand after her encounter with the Minister and so she had no other means of transportation.

Taking a deep breath and slipping on her cloak, Hermione held onto the small lamp and immediately she felt the familiar pull behind the navel. When her feet touched the ground again, she could smell the strong salty smell of the sea and hear the waves crashing behind her. She looked up and took in her surroundings. Her feet sank into a pebbled beach and up ahead all she could see was a long stretch of grassland with the faint outline of a house on the horizon. The island was much smaller than Hermione had imagined and she felt her anger increase when she realised just where Harry had sent her husband in exile.

The place was dreary and the weather dismal. There was not a tree in sight nor another human being apart from Seamus and herself. The Auror looked up ahead signalling to the house atop a small hill and walked off towards it. Hermione couldn't imagine Draco spending a night in such a dreary place, much less three months and yet somehow he had managed. Harry had efficiently stripped him of every right and power by putting him in exile. Things wouldn't be so bad if she could be with him. Unfortunately, Harry's orders were strict. She was to visit him for the day and one day only and then her life would resume to being locked up in her golden prison.

Hermione followed Seamus through the grassland, her hands buried inside her cloak as the wind howled around them. It stung her eyes and caused her hair to whip about her face. She kept her head down during the long walk up to the house, glancing up at Seamus every now and then, walking quite a distance ahead.

Eventually he stopped, although Hermione didn't notice until he turned around to speak.

"Hermione!" he cried out, the wind whistling loudly around them, whipping his black cloak about his legs.

She glanced up, unsure why he had stopped until he turned back to the house, pointing in its direction.

They were close now and when Hermione peered up at it again, she realised it looked like a farmhouse with white walls and a grey slate roof. As she looked closer, she spotted a tall, black-clad man coming out through the front door and slowly making his way towards them.

His hair was white-blond.

Hermione felt her heart seize before lunging towards the farmhouse, running as fast as she could towards Draco. As she approached, she spotted the smile on his sullen face before throwing herself in his arms.

"Hermione," he greeted her, squeezing her tightly in his arms.

She tried to speak but the tears choked the words. When she looked at him again, his mouth seized her in a kiss.

"Gods, I've missed you," he whispered fiercely, kissing her once more, his fingers running through her hair.

They broke apart only when they heard the sounds of Seamus' footsteps approaching.

"Finnegan," Malfoy greeted him, keeping Hermione's hand in his. "I wasn't expecting you today, but I'm glad you brought me more than just books."

"She's only here for the day," Seamus replied in a friendly manner and Draco nodded in understanding before leading them back to the farmhouse.

"Welcome to my new palace," he told Hermione, showing her through the front door. At least it was warm inside and Hermione quickly noted that although the furniture was simple, the house otherwise was well equipped.

Seamus, however, didn't follow them in. "I'll leave you two alone for the day," he announced, pulling his cloak tighter around him.

"I thought I wasn't supposed to leave your sight," Hermione told him, confused.

"I know my orders, Hermione," he said, an uneasy look upon his face, "but you haven't seen each other in three months and you need your privacy. Neither of you will be able to leave this island even if you wanted to. I'll be back before nightfall."

And before Hermione couldn't even think to thank him, he turned his back on them and left, shutting the door behind.

She turned to face Draco; his dark eyes were filled with worry.

"Where is he keeping you?" he asked her in a quiet voice, his hand absentmindedly tucking her hair behind her ear.

"In a mansion. I haven't been out in three months."

"And I've been locked up here the whole time," he informed her.

She shook her head. "He's just so different," she told him in frustration. "I don't understand why he's doing this."

Draco lifted her chin up, forcing her to look at him. "Did he hurt you?"

"No," she answered, reassuring him. "I'm fine. Draco, how did he capture you? Why didn't the Aurors stop him?"

Draco paused before letting out a sigh. "He got help. He went to meet the Ministers of countries who opposed the Empire and they gave him help. There was nothing I could do without it turning into a bloodbath."

Hermione knew there was something he wasn't telling her, but decided not to press him for now. "Where did he go?"

"Egypt, Italy and Russia, I think," Draco told her, leading her to the small kitchen. "Come sit down, I'll make some tea and then I'll tell you everything in greater detail."

******..~**~..**

* * *

_16 April, 2001_

It had worked.

After several weeks of planning, Draco and Hermione pushed forward the idea of an Empire to the remaining eight Order members and they had agreed. Draco would have a government consisting of ministers and ambassadors as well as a council composed of any wizard or witch interested in taking part in politics, courtesy of Hermione.

It was then successfully voted on by the wizarding population and the Empire was born. Hermione was completely baffled by the unanimous positive response the Empire received but it seemed that wizards and witches all over Britain truly thought of Draco as a hero and were ready to follow his every decision.

And thus began his numerous campaigns.

After France, came Italy and Austria. Then Greece and Spain. After so many great victories, the remaining Death Eaters seemed to disappear from the rest of the wizarding world, preferring to surrender what little power they had before Draco and his army crushed them.

Alongside Draco's victories, Hermione preferred to remain in Britain, taking care of the British wizard and witches immediate needs. A new wizarding London was being built step by step and children could finally return to Hogwarts once it was fully staffed.

It seemed nothing could harm the Empire, at least until the campaign in Russia. When Draco decided to attack the Russian Ministry of Magic, taken over by Rabastan Lestrange, his army met its match and was defeated. Draco barely escaped himself. He returned to Hogsmeade heavily injured and spent weeks lying in bed with Hermione constantly keeping watch over him. When he finally seemed to recover, news reached him that Lestrange had left Russia for Egypt and immediately Draco planned an attack.

When Hermione found out, it led to the worst argument they'd ever had and Draco left before they could reconcile. He left with Ron and the remaining Aurors to Egypt to find Lestrange and the last stronghold of Death Eaters hiding in the Delta. The fight lasted almost a month and Hermione was sick with worry the whole time, but they came back victorious and the wizarding population rejoiced. That same night, Draco and Hermione made up and the Emperor proposed to Hermione, who happily accepted and began to plan their wedding almost immediately.

However, the people demanded it to be a grand public wedding. They wanted to attend the happy couple's wedding and see them wed in the oldest wizarding institution in Britain, at Hogwarts.

Hermione reluctantly agreed until barely two months before the wedding, when the goblins suddenly paid Draco an unexpected visit and presented him with a gift.

"A crown?" Hermione exclaimed in a strangled voice as she stormed inside Draco's office after hearing the news. "They made you a crown?"

She found Draco sitting calmly behind his desk. He was contemplating the large box in front of him with an impassive face.

"I didn't ask for it, Hermione," he told her honestly, trying to reason with her. "They simply showed up this morning and gave it to me. They said wizard kings have always had crowns in the old days and the Goblins were always the ones who made them."

Hermione could feel her anger boiling in her veins. "But you're not a king!"

"I know and that's exactly what I told them but they said it didn't matter. Emperor, king, it was all the same."

"I don't believe this!" she cried out, stamping about his office. "You're not a king! There is nothing royal about all this, the Empire was put to a vote and that's what the people wanted, but this is taking it too far. You can't wear a crown, you simply can't!"

"Look, I knew you wouldn't want me wearing a crown, but I —"

Hermione spun to face him, her face livid. "This isn't just about the crown, Draco! It's like you're actually trying to be a king. You're planning to build a palace in the middle of London for goodness' sake, and don't tell me I'm wrong, I saw the plans. And don't even get me started on our wedding which has somehow become this huge public event without me even knowing!"

A long silence followed and Hermione was surprised to see Draco hang his head in defeat. In that brief moment, he seemed utterly and completely miserable.

"I know," he told her quietly. "I know I'm doing this wrong, alright? This wasn't what I wanted, trust me. I was trying to please the people, that's what I'm supposed to do, that's what you told me to do, wasn't it? But it seems that every time I do something for them, you disapprove. I don't know what to do anymore, but I do know that I don't want us to fight. So if all this is so displeasing to you, then we can stop. I can cancel everything and _we can stop_."

She looked at him with wide eyes, not believing he was giving up so quickly.

"I'm serious, Hermione," he continued, watching her intently.

Hermione paused, letting out a long breath. "I'm sorry for shouting and you're not doing everything wrong, it's just that I don't understand. What's this about building a palace for instance?" she asked him, finally sitting down in front of him. "And why on earth is it so big?"

"I meant to tell you today, but things got a bit hectic," he said, looking pointedly at the box in front of him. "It's not what you think. It's our new headquarters for the Empire, for everyone who works for us, that's why it's so big. Although from the outside I guess it is meant to look like a palace."

"And the wedding?"

"It was the Council's idea. All of it. They wanted the wedding to be public and from then on they started making plans and even voted on it."

"But it's _my_ wedding!" Hermione retorted, annoyed by people's interference.

"And it's your council," Draco replied with a smirk. "Besides, they said that since you'd refused to host the Quidditch World Cup this year, you owed them. I'm sorry, love, but there's just no way around it. This is what the people want. They want to rejoice with us, they want a celebration and we'll just have to give it to them."

"Fine," Hermione gave up, still clearly irritated. "But my reason for not hosting the Quidditch World Cup still stands. We just don't have the money, not after opening St Mungo's again. If they want a grand wedding, they'll have it. But we're paying for it!"

Draco froze on the spot.

"And we'll start with my wedding dress," Hermione added, as an afterthought. "I think I'll even head to Paris next week."

"Alright, but if we're having a grand wedding, then we'll have to wear the crowns," Draco tried to negociate, pushing the box towards her. "The Goblins were quite adamant."

"Crowns?" Hermione asked aghast.

Draco looked thoroughly amused by her reaction. "Oh yes, there's one for you as well."

Hermione paused a long time, staring from Draco to the box and back again. At last, she sighed. "Did you at least try giving them back?"

Draco let out a dry laugh. "Oh believe me, love, I tried. They wouldn't have it."

"Well let's see it then," Hermione stated, standing up and opening the box. "I want to see what the fuss is all about. Come on, try it on for me."

Draco suddenly looked rather nervous. "You want me to try it on now?"

Hermione grinned in return.

"Alright," he agreed, "but close the doors before then. If Ron ever sees me wearing this, he'll never let me live it down."

******..~**~..**

The day of the wedding, Hermione could barely breathe as she spotted the mass of people waiting at the castle doors.

"What are they all doing here?" she whispered to herself, wondering what on earth she had gotten herself into. She hadn't expected her wedding to turn into such an event.

She gripped the window ledge in her hands tighter. Up from the Gryffindor common room, it was easy to peer down and watch the crowd from the window. She hadn't seen so many wizards and witches standing all in one place, at least not since the Quidditch World Cup. "I know the Emperor gave everyone the day off, but this is ridiculous."

"They are here for you, Miss Granger," her maid answered, adding the final touches to her wedding dress. "The people have waited for this day to come since the Empire began. Of course, there have been many events to celebrate, our victory in Egypt, for example, but there is nothing as happy and thrilling as a wedding. You make a beautiful couple."

"Thank you, Elaine," Hermione told her with a warm smile. "And I'm so sorry you have to work on this day."

"Nonsense," the woman told her, guiding her back towards the full-length mirror. "Now tell me what you think."

Hermione glanced up at the satin and lace gown and smiled. She had solicited a well-known French designer to make it for her and she was far from disappointed. The hand-made, V-neck, long-sleeved ivory and white gown was tight around the bodice nicely revealing her curves, but padded at the hips, where the skirt then flowed out to the floor. The back of the dress was quite long, but it was nothing compared to the crimson velvet mantle she would wear during the ceremony.

It was no wonder so many people had turned up at Hogwarts to catch a glimpse of the wedding. The preparations had been the talk of the wizarding world ever since Draco had proposed.

"Bloody hell," a voice boomed out behind her and Hermione spun around to find Ron standing by the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Ron!" she cried out, hurrying towards him to pull him into a hug. "I thought you wouldn't be able to make it!"

"Hey, I wasn't going to miss you marrying the Ferret, after all, was I?" he told her, pulling her back at arms length so he could glance at her again. "Merlin's balls, Seamus told me Malfoy was going all out on this wedding, but bloody hell you look fantastic!"

She blushed at his words, feeling a bit silly all dressed up but noticed that Ron dressed up to the nines himself in his Auror's robes. They were obviously new and he looked incredibly handsome in them.

"You don't think this is too much?" she asked him worried. "I know this is what people wanted, but I'm starting to feel like a complete fool."

"Nonsense!" he told her with a laugh. "This is what people came to see. They've been expecting this for a long time and so have I. I always knew things would end up this way. If only Harry could be here to see you, I can just picture the shocked look on his face."

She smiled softly, thinking on Harry, still in a coma and who was being nursed back in his newly-built home in Godric's Hollow.

"I wonder what he'd say," she thought out loud, "what any of them would say if they were still alive."

"Hey," Ron exclaimed, calling her out of her thoughts. "Now's not the time to get emotional. It's nearly time to go. I actually came up here to tell you that all the guests have arrived and all we're waiting for is you."

"You're right," she said, turning back towards the mirror. "I'm just about ready. I'll be down in five minutes. Is my father waiting for me in the entrance hall?"

"Yep, he's there. I walked past him before coming up here," he informed her. "Now don't worry, the staircases have been jinxed so you can make a quick descent. See you there."

She nodded, feeling her heart skip a little. "Ron," she finally spoke, her voice faint.

"You'll be fine, Hermione," he told her reassuringly. "You deserve this."

And with a final grin, he turned to leave.

Hermione called for her maid again and together they fixed Hermione's hair, a cascade of brown curls falling over her shoulders and carefully placed her veil over her head.

A couple of minutes later, she walked out of the Gryffindor common room and made her way down. As she came upon the final stairs, she found her father looking up proudly at her as she made her way to the Entrance Hall.

Immediately, he came to her side. "How are you feeling, Hermione?"

"If I told you I feel like I'm about to throw up, is that a good sign?" she joked, taking his arm in hers.

He smiled down at her and winked. The majestic Great Hall doors were closed and Hermione took a deep breath as she stood before them. The mantle was brought to her and her maid, Elaine, used her wand to attach it around her shoulders and make sure the trail was neatly positioned. It was so long Hermione feared she wouldn't be able to walk with it due to the weight, but quickly realised a spell had turned the crimson velvet as light as her satin gown.

"Ready?" her father asked her and she nodded in return.

Immediately, she heard the orchestra begin and the double doors slowly opened revealing the Great Hall of Hogwarts.

She felt her jaw drop in awe at the white, silver and gold wedding decorations all around as well as the number of guests in attendance. A balcony with seats had even been built for the occasion, accomodating at least another hundred guests. Her father elbowed her slightly and Hermione exchanged her confused look for a toothy smile. She looked around at all the other smiling faces on either side of her, familiar or not. She let her father walk her down the aisle, a bouquet firmly grasped in her hands and she finally spotted the raised dais and standing on top was Draco.

She felt her mouth run dry as she caught sight of him in his white trousers and doublet and similar crimson mantle. The wreath of laurel crown lay on top of his white-blond hair and as Hermione watched him from afar, she could think of no other word to describe him than regal.

He was staring at her too. The look in his eyes seemed to be a mixture of love and pride and as she stepped closer, she also spotted a glimpse of lust. She knew that look on his face and couldn't help but blush underneath his gaze.

Before she knew it, her father had stopped, releasing her arm and turning back to his place to the front bench beside Hermione's mother, who watched on a handkerchief in her hands.

Hermione continued up to the dais and finally knelt down on the steps before Draco. Her heart was pounding in her chest, waiting as he placed her own crown, a silver diadem atop her head and reached out his hand to her, helping her back on her feet.

She came finally face to face with him, side by side and noticed his eyes peering at her intently. She realised then that he was just as nervous as she was and her smile grew. He squeezed her hand in his own, a small smile on his lips and they turned their heads forward as the marriage officiant cleared his throat.

At once the music stopped and the actual ceremony began.

******..~**~..**

* * *

_12 November, 2007_

Hermione listened nonchalantly to the wind howling and the distant waves outdoors with a sad smile on her face. She lay under the covers, her head resting on Draco's torso as she entwined her hand in his.

"This all feels so surreal. I can't believe the Empire has fallen and that we've been imprisoned in separate places," Hermione thought out loud. "What on earth have you been doing here by yourself for three months anyway? It must have been horrible."

Draco squeezed her hand in reply. "It hasn't been so bad," he answered truthfully. "At first, I thought I would go insane with boredom, but eventually it allowed me to think things through again. Think about the past."

They remained silent, watching the sun start to set through the double windows.

"Did you learn anything?" Hermione asked, softly stroking his hand with her thumb. "While you thought things through, I mean."

She turned her head upwards to look at him and she noticed him smirking behind her.

"Only that I was a complete idiot for not spending more time with you at the Palace instead of running after Death Eaters all the time," he told her, sitting up to kiss her.

When they broke apart, Hermione sat up as well. The moment was over, they both knew it. The sun was already setting and Seamus would soon be back.

They dressed in silence. Hermione looked about the room for her clothes with a heavy heart and noticed Draco also kept a morose face. He seemed lost in his thoughts.

"Oh, before I forget," she remembered, whilst taking hold of her woolen cloak, "I sneaked a bottle of wine out from the manor while the elves weren't looking. It's one of your favourites. I hope you'll savour it when I'm gone."

She pulled out the small bottle from the inside pocket of her cloak and handed it to him.

His eyes caught sight of the label. "Very nice, Mrs Malfoy," he drawled looking rather impressed. "I'll think of you when I open it."

He bent down to hide it inside a small cabinet beside the bed and as soon as he rose, a loud knock was heard on the front door.

Hermione held her breath. It was Seamus already.

Draco's shoulders tensed, and when she noticed the sudden pain in his grey eyes as he realised their day together was over, it almost broke her heart.

"I'd better go open," he told her in a quiet voice and she let him pass.

A few minutes later, he came back and shut the bedroom door behind him.

"You remember what I told you earlier about Potter getting help from foreign ministries?" he asked her hurriedly, looking straight into her eyes.

The serious look on his face suddenly made her nervous. She nodded at him.

"Well, I lied," he told her plainly. "He had barely two dozen men with him whereas I had an army. I didn't surrender to avoid a bloodbath, I did it because he had taken you and threatened to kill you if I didn't step down. I surrendered to save _you_."

She stared at him in bewilderment. The Empire had fallen... because of her? "But surely Harry wouldn't —"

"Trust me Hermione, I saw the look in his eyes. He was serious."

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked him, confused.

"Because you're everything to me!" he exclaimed, stepping forward. "Because all those things I did, I couldn't have done any of it without you. And Potter knew you were my only weakness and went straight for you. There was nothing I could do, I couldn't risk to put your life in danger."

"Draco —"

"No, listen to me," he continued, his steel eyes boring into hers. "I love you, Hermione. And I don't want anything to happen to you, do you understand that? Merlin knows what Potter will do to me or when we'll ever be able to see each other again. So I want you to promise me that no matter what, you'll be safe."

Hermione was completely baffled. "Draco, I — there's no reason —"

"Do you promise me?" he repeated firmly, gripping her upper arms.

"Yes, yes, I promise," she told him earnestly and suddenly his lips were upon hers and his arms were around her waist pulling her in.

She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and deepening the kiss. It was fierce and desperate.

When they broke apart, he continued to hold her, forehead against forehead as he gazed straight into her eyes. Hermione barely felt the sudden wetness on her cheeks.

"You'll be alright," he whispered to her, brushing her tears away. "No matter what happens, you'll be okay."

She nodded again, not trusting herself to speak.

"Now go," he coaxed her gently, pulling away slightly whilst squeezing her hand in his.

Hermione fought down her feelings of panic as she realised that it was time to leave. Seamus was waiting downstairs and it suddenly dawned upon her that Draco was right. Merlin only knew when they would see each other again.

Closing the gap between them, she hugged him tightly once more, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Taking a deep intoxicating breath, she lifted her head once more.

"I love you, Draco Malfoy," she whispered in his ear. "Always."

She then pulled him into a searing kiss and he responded, his arms sliding around her once more.

When she finally turned to leave, she stormed out through the bedroom door, refusing to look back.

******..~**~..**

* * *

_15 November, 2007_

Since her day with Draco, Hermione had returned to the mansion and spent all her time alone, mostly locked up in her room, refusing to speak to anyone.

At night she couldn't find sleep, her mind troubled with the last words she had exchanged with her husband, wondering when she would ever see him again. She sat alone in her room, in the dark, looking out from her window into the rose garden. Her guards regularly made rounds outside her room but she paid them no mind until she distinctly heard someone Apparating outside her door.

No one was allowed inside the mansion except for her guards, especially not at night. Her bedroom door suddenly opened wide and a tall figure walked in.

"Hermione," the man greeted her.

She instantly recognised Seamus' voice. He came forward, his appearance disheveled, wand in hand. As soon as she noticed the wild look on his face, she knew something was wrong.

"We have little time," he told her gravely. "Pack your things, quickly, you must leave before the guards notice my presence."

She stared back at him bewildered. "Seamus, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Quickly, Hermione," he repeated sternly, refusing to answer her questions. "You must hurry!"

She stood at once from her seat by the window, desperate to know what had happened but realising that it was best to keep her answers until later. Finding her bag, she swept through the room, throwing inside everything she could think of – books, clothes, shoes, her Muggle belongings and finally a wizard photograph of Draco and herself on their wedding day.

"Take my hand," Seamus ordered her when she was done.

She did so and instantly they disappeared from the mansion. When Hermione opened her eyes again, she could smell the sea in the air again – only this time they were by a port and the weather was slightly warmer than on Draco's Scottish isle.

Immediately, Seamus set off to cast wards around them and in the moonlight, Hermione noticed blood stains on the front of his robes.

Her heart jolted.

"Seamus," she called out, causing the man to freeze and turn to look at her. "Tell me, what happened? Why have you brought me here?"

His jaw clenched and his eyes couldn't seem to meet her own. A numbing shiver ran down Hermione's spine.

"Tell me," she insisted.

"The Emperor – Malfoy," he stated in a low voice, "is dead."

She was so startled by his words that she could do nothing but stare at the moment.

"He was poisoned. I went to bring him some supplies again late afternoon and found him thrashing about in the living-room, gasping for breath," Seamus continued, his eyes suddenly fixed on her face. "I arrived minutes before he drew his last breath. There was nothing that I could do. I had no potions with me, no Bezoar, nothing. I eased his pain as best as I could and watched him die."

Hermione's stomach flipped violently and a choked sob caught in her mouth.

"It was the wine," he said, casting an anxious glance at her. "There was poison in the wine. It was added before you brought it to Draco – the elves must have known and kept it aside for you to bring it to him. It was all planned."

Something in her blood run very, very cold. The wine? She had been so careful not to be seen taking the bottle from the mansion and yet she had brought it to Draco – she had caused him to die.

"I don't understand," she heard herself say, looking up again, "Harry would never do this."

Seamus dropped his gaze again and swallowed resolutely. "I think we both know that the new Minister is no longer the Harry from our days at Hogwarts."

A sob escaped Hermione's lips and she felt herself stumble to one knee. Instantly, Seamus was by her side, pulling her against him. Something inside her was breaking, breaking slowly but she shut her eyes tightly, forcing her tears back.

"I came to find you straight away," Seamus told her, as she pulled away from him. "You have to leave Britain, you are no longer safe here. The Minister poisoned Malfoy because of the love people still have for him. Who knows what he'll do to you next. Besides, I doubt people will remain passive once they find out the Emperor was poisoned. War might break out. You have to remain hidden abroad – at least until things die down here again."

He put his hand inside his cloak and retrieved her wand. "Here, take your wand and go," he told her, pushing it inside her wand.

She stared back at him, astonished. "Why are you helping me?"

He helped her up, his eyes scanning her face. "I once made a promise to Draco," he told her a bit reluctantly. "He summoned me to his office the day following your wedding and made me promise that if anything were to happen to him, that I would look out for you and keep you safe."

Hermione looked down at the wand in her hand, unable to speak.

"He reminded me of it as he died. His last words – they were for you. He told me to remember my promise and then he said your name. He was thinking of you – of your safety," Seamus added. He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "He was always thinking of you first."

Hermione nodded, finally letting the tears fall onto her cheeks.

"You need to go," Seamus urged her. "I will stay here and cover your tracks. Nobody will know where you are gone, have no fear."

Wiping her tears away, Hermione took a few steps back, gripping her wand tightly.

"I will be back," she announced suddenly, realising what must be done. "I created the Empire with him and as long as I live, so will the Empire. So when you see the Minister, tell him he'd best be ready. If war breaks out, then I will return and when I do, there will be no mercy for him."

Seamus nodded, surprised by her new resolve. Hermione had nothing left to lose and although she would keep her promise to Draco and keep safe; she made a new promise to herself – not to let Draco's murder go unavenged.

"Thank you for everything you have done, Seamus," she told the Auror in a softer tone. "I was wrong; you have been a faithful friend to Draco until the end."

"Long live the Empire," Seamus answered, respectfully bowing his head to her.

"Long live the Empire," she repeated with determination before disappearing.

******..~**~..**

* * *

******Pretty out there, right? I guess if you know nothing about Napoleon then the end must have been a surprise... In any case, tell me what you think! **

******Reviews are love :)  
**


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